Second term: John Adams Term: 1797-1801 Party: Federalist

John Adams

The elder Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in In a house to the north, Americans call it the "Cradle of American Independence" because the first Vice President and second President of the United States were born in this house. The furnishings in the house are still exactly the same as they were then. In 1784, Adams Sr. served as ambassador to the United Kingdom on behalf of the pre-independence United States. Four years later, his term expired and he returned home. During this period he purchased a mansion located at what is now 135 Adams Street in Quincy and named it "Peace Fields." This large house has more than 20 rooms, surrounded by large green spaces and typical 18th-century style gardens. Four generations of the Adams family have lived here. In 1846, Adams' descendants donated the house to the country. Since then, it has become part of the "Adams National Historical Park" to commemorate the contributions of the Adams father and son to the country.

Old Adams’ father was a descendant of an English Puritan. He was a shoemaker, a priest, a farmer, and a public opinion representative. He lived a simple life, worked diligently and thriftily, spent all his savings on purchasing land, and never pursued pleasure. Judging by his appearance, no one would believe that he is a large farmer with hundreds of hectares of land. His down-to-earth, hard-working and simple life philosophy deeply influenced his son John Adams. It can be said that Adams worked hard to practice this principle throughout his political career.

John Adams was extremely intelligent since he was a child and was known as a "child prodigy". He earned a master's degree from Harvard Law School at the age of 20 and became a respected lawyer. John Adams was always keen on politics. He was one of the main leaders of the American independence movement. Together with Washington and Jefferson, he was known as the "Three Heroes" of the American independence movement. During the American Revolutionary War, he was appointed as envoy to France and the Netherlands to participate in the conclusion of a peace agreement, which enabled these two major European powers to stand on the side of the United States, which was struggling for independence, and broke the British colonialists The attempt to strangle this new country in its cradle won extremely valuable material and moral assistance for the nascent United States, which was not recognized by most countries at the time. For this reason, the British regard him as the second most "evil figure" after Washington, the founding father of the United States, and must quickly get rid of him. During his mission to Europe, the assassins sent by the British pursued him and locked onto his unruly figure many times, but he managed to get rid of them one by one due to his extraordinary alertness. He accomplished his mission brilliantly and opened up the diplomatic landscape for the new United States of America.

As one of the most important leaders of the American Independence Movement, Adams Sr. was elected to the First and Second Congress after the Revolutionary War. From 1789 to 1797, the elder Adams served two consecutive terms as vice president on the team of founding father Washington. In March 1797, he narrowly defeated Thomas Jefferson, his old comrade in the Revolutionary War, in the general election and became the second president of the United States.

When the elder Adams recalled the moment when Washington handed him the presidential power, he had this passage: "I think I know what he really thought: 'Oh! You took over, I am relieved! Look at us Who's happier? '" The elder Adams soon knew the answer, and he faced more troubles than Washington. Betsy Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, had political disagreements with Adams and accused him of being a "damned American tyrant" and "a villain who should be cursed by all mankind." He mocked the fat old Adams as a "ball" and said he had a "belly a foot and a half high."

During the tenure of Adams Sr., due to the influence of two important factors, the original dream of the founding fathers of the United States - to establish a pure political system that transcended political parties - was completely shattered. One reason is the majority principle; the other reason is the French Revolution. Majority principle requires coalitions, the more stable the better, so political parties are indispensable. The French Revolution divided this union ideologically. The Democrats, headed by Adams Sr., faced the challenge from the Republicans, headed by Jefferson, and firmly held power. In 1798, Adams Sr. proposed the Immigration and Speech Act in an attempt to legally prevent the Republicans from recruiting supporters among new immigrants. As expected, these measures caused an uproar.

The owner of a tavern in Newark (a communist) staggered onto the street. He happened to see the army firing sixteen gunshots to pay tribute to President Adams. He loudly "wished" and said: I hope that sooner or later One shot would have hit old Adams in the fat ass.

But the most serious crisis for Old Adams did not come from the rise of *** and party members. He had a quarrel with his close friend and staunch political supporter, Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. He contemptuously called Hamilton "the bastard son of a Scotch peddler." Hamilton wrote a pamphlet accusing the elder Adams of his insufficient. Hamilton's defection made the Republicans overjoyed and called his pamphlet "pie in the sky." Jefferson was pleased to realize that the Republicans were likely to achieve an absolute victory. He guessed correctly. The internal divisions of the Democrats gave the Democratic Party and Jefferson an opportunity to take advantage of it, allowing Jefferson to win the presidential election in 1800.

In November 1800, on the eve of the new presidential election, Adams completed a major event with far-reaching influence in American history - moving the capital from Philadelphia to Washington, making himself the first to occupy the capital. President in the White House. But something unexpected happened, and in the general election held a few days later, Adams lost to Jefferson with almost the same disadvantage. The reversal of the situation came so quickly and unprepared that Adams had not even warmed up the chair in the Oval Office. After losing the election, Adams showed a gentlemanly demeanor. He sincerely congratulated Jefferson and left the White House he had built without any hesitation. He returned to his hometown of Quincy, where he spent the rest of his life. July 4, 1826, was the 40th anniversary of the birth of the American Declaration of Independence, which Adams participated in drafting, and was also the National Day of the United States. On this day, the 90-year-old Adams passed away in Quincy. His last words before his death were: "Fortunately, Jefferson is still alive." Little did he know that Jefferson, who had both lost and defeated him in the general election, had passed away hours before him.

Posterity always believes that the most famous presidents in the early days of the United States were Washington and Jefferson, and the elder Adams was somewhat eclipsed between them. As everyone knows, the elder Adams was one of the most upright and intelligent presidents in American history. His contemporaries felt this most deeply. They respectfully called him a "political philosopher" instead of a blustering "politician". He rated it very highly. In addition to making outstanding contributions to the country's independence, Adams Sr.'s other outstanding achievement is to train another president for the United States. During his lifetime, he saw his son become the sixth President of the United States, once again extending the footprints of the Adams family to the White House he created with his own hands.

Telling the story of Old Adams cannot fail to mention his wife Abigail. In his early years, Adams was active in social activities and often went out. At that time, transportation was very inconvenient, and people often traveled for months at a time. During this period, the family farm was completely managed by his wife, Abigail. For a period of time, the elder Adams worked for the independence of the United States and had no income. The family's life was supported by his wife's farm operation. She not only supported her husband and raised children, but also actively participated in the political activities of the time. When the elder Adams attended the New World Congress in Philadelphia, Abigail wrote to her husband, reminding him to pay attention to the protection of women's social status and rights during the meeting, otherwise it may trigger the second revolution in the United States. This incident has become a legend in American history

On March 4, 1797, President John Adams

The first American president to be sworn in by the Attorney General (General The Inspector-General's name was Onifer Ellsworth).

John Adams

Nickname: Mr. Chubby

Birth and death: 1735.10.30~1826.7.4

Term: 1797.3. 4~1801.3.4

Origin: Farmer

Education: University (Harvard University, Literature)

Occupation: Lawyer

Party : Federalist

Religion: Christian-Sexualist

Position: Ambassador, Vice President

Mrs.: Abigail Smith

Children: 3 sons and 2 daughters

Book: "On Canons and Feudal Laws"

Famous quote: Human beings have lost their paradise by eating forbidden fruits. This has happened for thousands of years. a lesson that was not taken seriously.

Moral reflections, sage maxims, and religious horrors have little effect on the state when they conflict with the tastes, prejudices, imaginations, passions, or whims of the day.