The son of President John Adams, John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was immersed in his father's presidency, serving as his father's secretary in Europe and proving himself to be skilled in languages and keeping a diary. Adams' intelligence also extended to the law, which he practiced after his graduation from Harvard college. A few presidents sought his as a minsiter to several foreign countries, such as the Netherlands and Russia. It was under President Monroe that he obtained the position of Secretary of State, performing many considerable accomplishments and eyeing the Presidency as a possibility.
In the 1824 election, John Quincy Adams won the Presidency over Andrew Jackson, who was by far the more popular candidate. Still, he showed power and leadership, and among his accomplishments he right away proposed a network of highways and canals to unite the sections of the nation, including the 185-mile C & O Canal. Other projects included an observatory, a national university, and funding scientific expeditions. These projects cost him much strain in the next election, when Jackson, running a second time, and his party accused Adams of exceeding constitutional allowances and even 'public plunder'. This election Adams lost to Jackson, and returned to his home, hoping to recover from the accusations and live his life in peace. However, he was elected two years later to the House of Representatives, where he served until his death of a sudden stroke in 1848. He is buried in the First Parish Church, a Unitarian church, in Quincy alongside his wife and parents.
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