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John Adams

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Born: October 29 1735

Died: 0303 07 18261826

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

An American Founding Father, the second president of the United States , having earlier served as the first vice president of the United States .

Adams came to prominence in the early stages of the American Revolution. A cousin of revolutionary leader Samuel Adams, John Adams was a lawyer and public figure in Boston. As a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, Adams played a leading role in persuading Congress to declare independence. He assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and was its primary advocate in the Congress.

Later, as a diplomat in Europe, he helped negotiate the eventual peace treaty with Great Britain, and was responsible for obtaining vital governmental loans from Amsterdam bankers.

A political theorist and historian, Adams largely wrote the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780, which together with his earlier Thoughts on Government, influenced American political thought.

One of his greatest roles was as a judge of character: in 1775, he nominated George Washington to be commander-in-chief, and 25 years later nominated John Marshall to be Chief Justice of the United States.

Adams' revolutionary credentials secured him two terms as George Washington's vice president and his own election in 1796 as the second president. During his one term as president, he encountered ferocious attacks by the Jeffersonian Republicans, as well as the dominant faction in his own Federalist Party led by his bitter enemy Alexander Hamilton. Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, and built up the army and navy especially in the face of an undeclared naval war with France, 1798–1800.

The major accomplishment of his presidency was his peaceful resolution of the conflict in the face of Hamilton's opposition. Because he promoted a strong defense, Adams is "often called the father of the American Navy".

In 1800, Adams was defeated for re-election by Thomas Jefferson and retired to Massachusetts. He later resumed his friendship with Jefferson. He and his wife founded an accomplished family line of politicians, diplomats, and historians now referred to as the Adams political family.

Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States. His achievements have received greater recognition in modern times, though his contributions were not initially as celebrated as those of other Founders. Adams was the first U.S. president to reside in the executive mansion that eventually became known as the White House.

Well educated, he was an Enlightenment political theorist who promoted republicanism, as well as a strong central government, and wrote prolifically about his often seminal ideas—both in published works and in letters to his wife and key adviser Abigail Adams.

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John Adams

John Adams

Books from John Adams

First Family: Abigail and John Adams

My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams

The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784

Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop for Quilters: 60 Blocks + a Dozen Quilts and Projects!

Familiar Letters Of John Adams And His Wife Abigail Adams During The Revolution: With A Memoir Of Mrs. Adams

The Portable John Adams

The United States Constitution: A Round Table Comic Graphic Adaptation

State of the Union Address (1790-2001)

Thoughts On Government Applicable To The Present State Of The American Colonies.: Philadelphia, Printed By John Dunlap, M,Dcc,Lxxxvi

The Political Writings of John Adams

Revolutionary Writings 1755–1775

The Revolutionary Writings of John Adams

A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America: Volume I

Diary and Autobiography of John Adams: Volumes 1-4, Diary (1755-1804) and Autobiography (Through 1780)

U.S. Presidential Inaugural Addresses

A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America: Akashic U.S. Presidents Series

The Quotable John Adams

The Last Days of Anglekite

America: Revolution (America, Great Crises In Our History Told by its Makers)

Letters of Mrs Adams, Wife of John Adams Vol 1