Who was John Quincy Adams?
John Quincy Adams, son of the second president, spent his early career as a diplomat in Europe. He took part in the talks at Ghent that ended the War of 1812, then served James Monroe as secretary of state. The 1824 election had no clear winner, and the House chose him as president. Andrew Jackson's followers charged that he had made a corrupt deal with Henry Clay. In office he offered a broad plan for roads, canals, education and science, but Congress mostly turned it down, and Jackson beat him in 1828. From 1831 until he died he sat in the House, where he grew into a leading critic of slavery's political power.
Political views
- His 1825 message to Congress called for roads, canals, a national university and an astronomical observatory, on the theory that liberty is power.Source: millercenter.org
- Favored federal money for internal improvements and protective tariffs, in line with Henry Clay's American System.Source: millercenter.org
- Signed the Tariff of 1828, which Southern opponents called the Tariff of Abominations, and which set duties higher than he had planned.Source: millercenter.org
- Pressed to send American delegates to the Panama Congress of the newly independent Latin American states, despite fierce Southern objections.Source: millercenter.org
- As a congressman he helped bring an end to the House gag rule that blocked debate on slavery.Source: millercenter.org
- In 1841 he argued in the Supreme Court that the Africans who had taken over the slave ship Amistad should go free.Source: history.state.gov
Legacy
Many historians rank Adams among America's finest diplomats, crediting him with the Adams-Onís Treaty with Spain and with shaping the Monroe Doctrine. Admirers also cite his plans for science, schooling and transport, which pointed toward later national programs, and his late-life work for the Amistad captives and for the right to petition Congress. Critics in his day said his plans stretched federal power too far, and Jacksonians called his 1824 win a corrupt bargain. Most historians count his presidency as a failure, noting his poor ties with Congress and his unwillingness to hand out jobs or build a party. The 1828 tariff also added to Southern anger that fed the Nullification Crisis.
In their own words
“Let us not be unmindful that liberty is power; that the nation blessed with the largest portion of liberty must in proportion to its numbers be the most powerful nation upon earth.”