John Quincy Adams

John Q. Adams was born of John, the second president of the United States, and Abigail, in Braintree (modern Quincy), MA. He became a diplomat when war broke out between France and Great Britain in 1793. He married Louisa Caroline Johnson, adding the name Adams to hers. Adams then fought and defeated Andrew Jackson in the race for the presidency in 1824, and became president in 1825 (his presdency ended in 1829). He also knew how to speak Dutch and French!

During his 17 years in Congress, he found that the Amistad, a slave ship, had landed in New York, a non-slavery state. People did not know if the slaves were property, or free! This case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, where there was much confusion and noise. Adams showed that the Declaration of Independence said that all men are created equal, with certain inalienable rights, to a southern judge in favor of slavery! The result was astonishing: even though the judge of course wanted the opposition, he sentenced the slaves free, because he thought that the law was more important than his opinion, in a court.

John Quincy Adams then died in Congress of a stroke in 1848.

--Harrison Reiser