Notes

His Early Life
John Quincy Adams was born in Massachusetts in 1767. His father was John Adams, the second President of the United States.
John Quincy started working for the government when he was only 11 years old. He was his father's secretary on two trips to Europe. As his secretary, young Adams helped his father and took notes during important meetings. The young Adams also learned to speak several languages during the three trips he took with his father.
John Quincy Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1787, and became a lawyer. A lawyer helps people with the law. In 1794, President George Washington sent John Quincy to Europe be a minister for the United States. Adams came back to the United States in 1802, and was elected as a Senator from Massachusetts. When Adams was elected Senator, people voted for him to make laws for the country.
In 1817, President James Monroe made Adams Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, Adams helped write the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine told the governments of the countries of Europe to stay out of North, South, and Central America.
His Presidency
In 1824, John Quincy Adams ran for President against Andrew Jackson. The election was very close. The House of Representatives, part of Congress, had to decide who won. Adams won, but Jackson had a lot of friends in Congress. They voted against everything Adams wanted to do as President, so he was not a successful President. Adams was not elected again.
His Later Life
In 1830, Adams ran for Congress again and was re-elected. He served in the House of Representatives for 18 years. He believed that the national government was more important than the rights of each state. He also thought that slavery was wrong, and should end. Slaves are people who are owned by other people.
Adams' ideas were not popular, but he fought hard for his beliefs. People liked him for that. Adams died in 1848. He was 76 years old
President of the United States
Born: July 11, 1767
Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts (now Quincy, Massachusetts)
Died: February 23, 1848
Place of death: Washington, D.C.
John Quincy Adams lived from 1767 to 1848. He was the sixth President of the United States. He was the son of John Adams, the country's second President.Adams, John Quincy (1767–1848), sixth president of the U.S. (1825–29), who combined brilliant statesmanship with skillful diplomacy. As secretary of state (1817–25) he ranks among the ablest holders of the office, and he played a major role in formulating American foreign policy. As an eight-term member of the House of Representatives (1831–48) he was a leading defender of freedom of speech and a spokesman for the antislavery cause.
Quotations from John Quincy Adams
"... may our country be always successful, but whether successful or otherwise, always right." Letter to John Adams, Aug. 1, 1816
"Liberty is power. The nation blessed with the largest portion of liberty must in proportion to its numbers be the most powerful nation upon earth, and the tenure of power by man is ... upon condition that it shall be exercised to ... improve the condition of himself and his fellow-men." First Annual Message to Congress, Dec. 6, 1825
"Internal improvements was at once my conscience and my treasure." Letter to Henry Clay, Sept. 30, 1842
"... above all, let us never forget, in the most fervent heat of our party conflicts, that there is a cause, embracing and transcending all others-- ... the cause of our country." Lecture given at Providence, R. I., Nov. 25, 1842