John Adams
At a Glance
2nd President of the United States (1797-1801)
Born: October 30, 1735, North Precinct of Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts
Nickname: "Atlas of Independence"
Education: Harvard College (graduated 1755)
Religion: Unitarian
Career: Lawyer
Marriage: October 25, 1764, to Abigail Smith (1744-1818)
Children: Abigail Amelia (1765-1813), John Quincy (1767-1848), Susanna (1768-1770), Charles (1770-1800), Thomas Boylston (1772-1832)
Political Party: Federalist
Writings: The Works of John Adams, The Adams-Jefferson Letters, Diary and Autobiography, The Papers of John Adams, The Political Writings of John Adams
Died: July 4, 1826, in Quincy, Massachusetts
Buried: Quincy, Massachusetts
A Life in Brief: Before becoming President in 1797, John Adams built his reputation as a blunt-speaking man of independent mind. A fervent patriot and brilliant intellectual, Adams served as a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress between 1774 and 1777, as a diplomat in Europe from 1778 to 1788, and as vice president during the Washington administration. More....
Essays on John Adams and His Administration
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John Adams
A Life in Brief • Life Before the Presidency • Campaigns and Elections • Domestic Affairs • Foreign Affairs • Life After the Presidency • Family Life • The American Franchise • Impact and Legacy • Key Events |
| First Lady Abigail Adams |
| Vice President Thomas Jefferson (1797-1801) |
| Secretary of State Timothy Pickering (1797-1800) • John Marshall (1800-1801) |
| Secretary of War James McHenry (1797-1800) • Samuel Dexter (1800 - 1801) |
| Postmaster General Joseph Habersham (1797 - 1801) |
| Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott Jr. (1797 - 1800) • Samuel Dexter (1801 - 1801) |
| Attorney General Charles Lee (1797 - 1801) |
| Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert (1798 - 1801) |
Consulting Editor: C. James Taylor
Mr. Taylor is the editor-in-chief of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Presidential Speeches
Below are selections from the Miller Center's John Adams speech collection. To view the Miller Center's other speeches by John Adams or by another President, please click the link below.
March 4, 1797 - Inaugural Address
May 16, 1797 - Special Session Message to Congress (XYZ Affair)
Miller Center Scholarship and Speakers
The Miller Center of Public Affairs is a national nonpartisan center to research, reflect, and report on American government, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency. Below is a selection of Miller Center resources on John Adams.
Watch Journalist Jon Meacham's 2006 presentation at the Miller Center
on God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation.
Click here to learn more about the Center's National Commission on the Vice Presidency and its relationship to Adams.
Scripps Library Reference Resources
Below are links to reference resources prepared by the Miller Center's Scripps Library that are designed to help students and scholars quickly conduct their research.
Information on John Adams's Private and Public Papers
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