On October 30, 1735 John Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was a main leader in the early days of the United States. Adams took part in the efforts against Britain. He also helped to make the laws of the new government.
John Adams was a good student. He went to a common school in Braintree and then he went to Harvard College. After college he kept studying because he wanted to become a lawyer. While he was studying law, he taught school.
A big part of Adams’ life was his wife, Abigail. She was good for John because she loved to study and learn, too. She enjoyed talking about government, the laws, and politics. They would discuss the current events and laws that were changing.
John often was away while setting up the new laws for the colonies. He wrote letters to Abigail about how things went. She had to work hard to take care of their home and farm. If she was not too tired she would stay up late and write back to John. We have learned many things about John and Abigail Adams through their letters.
When the Boston Massacre happened, John Adams got involved. Five people were killed when it took place. The soldiers (British) that were in it were to be tried in court. No one wanted to be the lawyers for the soldiers. Most of Boston was against them. Adams took the case for the soldiers. He wanted his new country to give everyone a fair trial. This is something that Britain did not allow for the colonists.
Adams wanted the federal government to be strong. Many did not agree with him. A number of leaders wanted the states to be stronger than the federal government. This started many fights with words between himself and others when the country was founded. They wanted to have the best for the country, but they did not always agree on how to do it. They had to work the problems out. When John was away at the Constitutional Convention he wrote to Abigail on June 16, 1787. In that letter he said that this time was the last time he would stay away from home. He would stay out of the great “affairs.” He had a right, he wrote, to spend the remainder of his days in small things, back at home.
While away on one of his trips, Abigail lost a baby. In one of her letters she wrote to him while she was having labor pains. She felt at the time of one of her pains (shaking fits) that she had lost the baby. Two weeks later, she did lose the child in attempting to give birth to it. This put her down in bed for four days.
Adams was grateful for Abigail. She had done many things. She carried the load of taking care of the home and farm. She had many trials. Some of those trials were to go through dysentery and small pox. He likened her to Aspasia, the wife of Pericles. They were both women ‘of the greatest beauty and genius.’
John Adams did many things for his new country. He was very active in fighting the Stamp Act and other British laws. He also helped make the Massachusetts laws. When the First Continental Congress and the Second Congress took place, John Adams was there. (This was at the same time as the Revolutionary War.) Something interesting to know is that Adams was not at the convention to create the Constitution for his country. Why do you think he would not be there? He was actually serving his country in England at the time. He was an envoy to Britain.
By the time of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, John and Abigail had been married for 23 years. For more than half of that time they had been apart. John and Abigail did things this way because of the duty they felt to their state and country.
Adams did some other things too. Before he was an envoy to Britain, he had also been an envoy to France. He was the Vice President to President George Washington. And then he was even the President of the United States. While serving as the vice president under Washington, Adams really had a hard time. He did not like doing that job. They would not let him do very much. He was used to doing much more to help the country.
John Adams became the second President to our country. Did you know that he did not move into the White House when he was first elected? It was not completed at that time. He and his wife were able to move into it for the last year of his term in office (1800). It was unfinished at that time.
John Adams died on July 4, in 1826. This was also the same day Thomas Jefferson.