John Adams:“The Atlas of

Law”Abby Hoskin

The student will be able to generate a

large understanding of the life of our

second president John Adams.

Objective

1735 Born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts on October 30th 1764

Married to Abigail Smith 1774 Chosen as a delegate to the First Continental Congress 1777 Elected as commissioner to France to negotiate a treaty of alliance 1780-1782 Obtained recognition of American independence from the Netherlands 1782-1783 Served on the commission that negotiated peace with Great Britain 1785 Appointed minister to Great Britain 1789 Elected Vice-President of the United States 1792 Re-elected Vice-President 1796 Elected President of the United States 1800 The Library of Congress was established 1800 The capital was moved to Washington, DC and the White House

became home of the President 1800 Indiana territory was organized

Timeline

He was born on October 30th, 1735, in Quincy Massachusetts

Skipped school to hunt and fish

Loved being outdoors

Wanted to live the life of a farmer

Loved to read books

John Adams’s Young Years

His dad was a farmer

A deacon in the Congregational Church. He earned a living from farming and

shoemaking. He wanted his son to gain a good and

formal education As soon as John could read, his dad gave

him the bible

His Father

Attended school taught by female teacher

He went through a reading and writing class, followed by a Latin class

He excelled his studies

Went to Harvard University at age 15

Taught in a Latin school to earn tuition fees to study law

Graduated in 1775

Education

Set reputation as a blunt-speaking, and of independent mind

Served as a delegate between 1774 and 1777

Also diplomat of Europe between 1778 and 1788

Life in Congress (Part 1)

In the early days, the candidate receiving the second largest vote would become vice president

Thomas Jefferson, who opposed Adams during the election, became John Adam’s vice president

Adams won the election principally because he was recognized in the Washington Administration and he was able to win two electoral ballots from Jefferson states.

Election

Federalists were led by Alexander Hamilton; party favored industry, banking, merchants, ect.

Democratic Republicans, Let by Thomas Jefferson, who advocated limited powers of for the federal government, believed in heavy taxation for Adam’s military buildup, they were much more organized

John Adams was a federalist

Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans

Adams spent more time in congress than the did with his family.

Adams was married to a beautiful, smart woman named Abigail Smith

She usually felt lonely without John Around to help her with household and family duties.

She left behind about 2000 letters containing strong commentary, some of the strongest of her time.

Personal Life Filled with Poltics

They had five children: -Abigail Amelia (1765–1813) -John Quincy (1767–1848), -Susanna (1768–1770), -Charles (1770–1800), -Thomas Boylston (1772–1832)

They usually spent long periods of time away from each other because Adams had government business

(continued)

He was able to avoid war with the French

He won the nation’s respect, even though he was criticized for signing the Alien and Sedition acts.

Pardoned the instigators of Fries’s Rebellion

During Presidency

War erupted in 1792 because France attempted to export it’s revolutionary ideas to monarchical nations allied against the French

Britain joined France, which worried Americans because Britain was it’s main source of trade

Their ships started to seize American ships

Result was Jay’s treaty.

Plunged Adams into a foreign crisis

(continued)

Within months of retirement, Adams threw himself into his writing and commentary. For the rest of his life, Adams wrote prolifically, including his autobiography and a voluminous correspondence

With his retirement from public office, John and Abigail finally obtained the homelife that she had always wanted

Life After Presidency

Both Adams and Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Near noon, close to the time of Jefferson's death, Adams awakened from a deep sleep and with great effort proclaimed, "Thomas Jefferson survives." These were his last words, after which he fell into a coma. At about six o'clock in the evening, as the warm day turned cool, John Adams died. He was ninety-one years old.

His Death

Q: What were John Adam’s last Words?

“Thomas Jefferson Survives”

Test Question