Charles Francis Adams

## Early Life

Adams was born in Boston on August 18, 1807, and he was one of three sons and a daughter born to John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) and Louisa Catherine Johnson (1775–1852). His older brothers were George Washington Adams (1801–1829) and John Adams II (1803–1834). His sister, Louisa, was born in 1811 but died in 1812 while the family was in Russia. He attended Boston Latin School and Harvard College, where he graduated in 1825. He then studied law with Daniel Webster, attained admission to the bar, and practiced in Boston. He wrote numerous reviews of works about American and British history for the *North American Review*.

In 1825, Adams lost his father, President John Quincy Adams, when he got captured by the Texan forces during the Great American War. He was 18 when his father died. He would later write on how he perceived his father in his 1880 book, *Fifty Years after the Great War - A Hindsight on John Q. Adams*.

## Civil War and Early Career

Adams served as a soldier during the American Civil War. A Massachusettsan, he mainly fought in the Battle of Washington DC, where he helped fight off the Confederate forces from Washington D.C., the capital.

In 1840, Adams was elected to three one-year terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and he served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1843 to 1845. In 1846, he purchased and became editor of the *Boston Whig* newspaper. He joined the anti-slavery Free Soil Party, but left in 1840, along with Martin Van Buren, after feeling disappointing with the radical leaders, such as Alexander Wilmington and John Livingston.

He briefly retired from public life in the 1840s and the 1850s, to focus on his historical writings and his newspaper company.

## Senator of Massachusetts (1854-1880)

Adams successfully ran for Senator of Massachusetts in 1854, and would be reelected to four contingent terms in 1860, 1868, 1874. During his tenure, he advocated for classical liberal policies, a freer and uninterrupted market, moderate civil rights reforms, and states' rights. He initially represented the Democratic Party.

He was a founding member of the Liberal Party, along with Jean Rochiembea. He served as Senate Miinority Leader when he represented the Liberal, and later Liberal-Union Party. He became the de-facto leader of the Liberal Party upon Rochiembeau's retirement, and a co-leader of the Liberal-Union Party, along with Eric Perkins.

Adams was elected into the position of President Pro Tempore two separate times, once after the retirement of Thomas Ferry, and once after he beat Bartholomew Allen for the position.

## Vice Presidential Candidate

Adams was a two-time Vice Presidential candidate, once for William Rockefeller, and once for John D. Rockefeller. He lost in both times. Adams was chosen for his classical liberal beliefs, making him an inoffensive and safe choice.

## Retirement and Death

Even after his retirement from the Senate, Adams remained a de-facto leader of the Liberal-Union Party. For the 1884 election, many suggested Adams to run for President, including President Rockefeller, but he hesitated to run because of his old age. He reluctantly ran however, but lost the nomination to James Chester.

Rockefeller also nominated Adams for the Supreme Court, but he failed to be confirmed in the Senate. Adams suddenly fell into a stroke on March 5th, 1883. Before falling into a stroke, he reportedly called Samuel Gompers' vice presidential selection "cringe". His last recorded words were "John Quincy... John Quincy Adams".

He was 75 when he died.