1. John Adams was the 2nd President of the United States from 1797 to 1801 and was a Founding Father, the first vice president of the United States. His son, John Quincy Adams, was the sixth President of the United States.
2. John Adams was born on October 30, 1735, in Quincy, Massachusetts. His father was John Adams Sr. and mother was Susanna Boylston Adams. He married his third cousin Abigail Smith on October 25, 1764.
3. At age 16, Adams earned a scholarship to attend Harvard University in 1751. After earned a master’s degree from Harvard University in 1758 he was admitted to the bar. He eventually became one of Boston’s most prominent attorneys.
4. Due to his strong posture on defense, Adams is “often called the father of the American Navy”. He was the first U.S. president to reside in the executive mansion, now known as the White House.
5. During Adams’s presidency, a war between the French and British was causing political difficulties for the United States.
6. Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, and built up the army and navy in the face of an undeclared naval “Quasi-War” with France.
7. In 1800, Adams lost re-election to Thomas Jefferson and retired to Massachusetts. He died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence.
