John Adams And his unwavering commitment to public service defined his life and career. From the early days of the American Revolution to his presidency, Adams dedicated himself to the burgeoning nation. His journey, alongside his remarkable wife Abigail, involved constant relocation as he served the federal government, first in New York City, then Philadelphia, and finally Washington, D.C. This dedication to the nation’s call became a hallmark of the Adams family.
Born in Braintree, Massachusetts, on October 30, 1735, John Adams spent his formative years immersed in the rural life of the family farm. His education began at a local day school, progressed to Latin school, and culminated in his enrollment at Harvard College at the young age of fifteen. Initially considering a career in the ministry, John Adams ultimately turned towards law, finding his true calling in the legal profession after a brief stint as a teacher. Establishing his own legal practice marked a turning point in his life, soon followed by his marriage to Abigail Smith in 1764. Their union blossomed into a fifty-year partnership that witnessed the raising of four children, extensive travels, and a profound mutual influence that shaped American history.
John Adams portrait by John Singleton Copley, showcasing his appearance during his diplomatic years in Europe.
A pivotal moment in John Adams’s early career arrived in October 1770 when he courageously defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. This controversial decision, rooted in his belief in the right to legal representation, brought him public recognition. Just four years later, John Adams and his burgeoning political career took a significant leap forward as he represented Massachusetts at the First Continental Congress. He quickly distinguished himself as a leading voice advocating for independence, notably nominating George Washington to lead the Continental Army. In 1776, John Adams and his commitment to independence were further cemented when he served on the committee tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence, a testament to his tireless work across ninety different congressional committees.
John Adams and his diplomatic skills became crucial to the American cause when Congress dispatched him to France and then the Netherlands in 1778. His mission was to secure vital financial and political support for the war effort. In The Hague, John Adams successfully negotiated a crucial loan and opened up Dutch trade routes to America, bolstering the fledgling nation’s economy. Alongside Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, John Adams played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Paris. This landmark treaty, signed in 1783, officially ended the Revolutionary War and secured international recognition of American independence. During these years of crucial diplomatic service, John Adams returned to Massachusetts only briefly in 1779, using this short period to author the Massachusetts state constitution, a document that remains the oldest functioning state constitution in the United States.
Abigail Adams portrait by Gilbert Stuart, depicting her elegance and intelligence as the wife of John Adams and a prominent figure in her own right.
From 1781 to 1788, John Adams and his dedication to his country continued through various diplomatic roles, including serving as the first United States Minister to Great Britain. Despite the prestige, his time as Vice President, starting in 1789 under George Washington, proved to be a period of relative political obscurity. John Adams and his role as second-in-command were largely sidelined from cabinet discussions, and as President of the Senate, his contributions were often dismissed, leading some senators to derisively nickname him “His Rotundity.”
However, with Washington’s decision to retire in 1796, John Adams and his presidential ambitions were realized as he was elected as the second President of the United States. Throughout their public life, in every city they resided, John and Abigail Adams established formal households, welcoming guests and employing staff to manage their homes. In contrast to many prominent Virginians of the era, John Adams and his household operated without enslaved labor. Instead, the Adamses employed both white and free African-American individuals for domestic service. However, the complex realities of the time meant that even the Adamses’ opposition to slavery was nuanced. It is possible they may have engaged in the practice of hiring enslaved African Americans, indirectly contributing to the system by paying wages to their owners for the labor performed in the Vice President’s and President’s House.
The President’s House in Philadelphia, representing the seat of power during John Adams’ presidency and the early years of the United States government.
One of John Adams’s initial actions as president was to attempt to retain Washington’s cabinet. Unfortunately, these secretaries remained loyal to Alexander Hamilton, often undermining Adams’s foreign policy objectives and even working against his reelection bid in 1800. John Adams’s presidency faced significant challenges, including the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, which targeted immigrants and political opponents, drawing considerable criticism. Despite these domestic difficulties, John Adams and his commitment to peace achieved a major diplomatic success by averting war with France. The Treaty of Mortefontaine, signed in 1800, resolved the Quasi-War with France and established peaceful trade relations, although it came too late to boost his reelection prospects.
Following Thomas Jefferson’s victory in the 1800 election, John Adams retired to Peacefield, his home in Quincy, Massachusetts. For the next quarter-century, John Adams and his intellectual energy found an outlet in vigorous correspondence with friends and family. He became a respected elder statesman in Boston and experienced immense pride when his son, John Quincy Adams, was elected president in 1824. On July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams passed away. His last words, famously recounted by his family, were: “Thomas Jefferson survives.” Unbeknownst to him, Thomas Jefferson had died just hours earlier on the same historic day, marking a symbolic end to an era defined by these two founding fathers.
