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John Quincy Adams
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John Quincy Adams was the first U.S. representative to Russia and later became Secretary of State and eventually sixth President of the United States. When he arrived for duty in 1809, he was renewing an acquaintance -- having first visited Russia in 1781 as the French-language interpreter for an earlier U.S. diplomatic mission. In his letters home, he described the poor conditions of the enslaved peasants, known as "serfs," and the absolute power of the nobility of imperial Russia. These early sentiments perhaps shaped his later thoughts on liberty and the rights of man. In 1841, Adams argued against slavery in the celebrated Amistad trial, which strengthened the anti-slavery movement in America. A gifted linguist, John Quincy served in St. Petersburg during Napoleon's invasion of Russia from 1809 to 1814. He ... served as Minister to several European countries.
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John Quincy Adams may have been the greatest U.S. secretary of state, but he was not one of the greatest presidents. He was really a minority president, chosen by the House of Representatives in preference to Andrew Jackson and William H. Crawford following the inconclusive one-party election of 1824. In the popular contest Jackson had received the greatest number of votes both at the polls and in the state electoral colleges, but he lacked a constitutional majority. Henry Clay, one of the four candidates in 1824, threw his support to Adams in the House in February 1825, after secret conferences between the two... electing Adams on the first ballot. The supporters of Jackson and Crawford immediately cried "corrupt bargain": Clay had put Adams into the White House in order to become his secretary of state and successor. The judgment of historians is that there was an implicit bargain but no corruption.
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John Quincy Adams had many interesting aspects to him. He did not sleep much, his usual night's sleep was three or four hours. In the Adams mansion, the only way to exit his bedroom was through the guest room. Therefore, he ended up waking up many of his guests. To solve this problem, a corridor was built from his bedroom to the main hallway. John Quincy was ... the first president to have his own library.
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Born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts, John Quincy Adams had a fascinating childhood. He grew up during the American Revolution. He lived and travelled throughout Europe. He was tutored by his parents and was an excellent student. He went to schools in Paris and Amsterdam. Back in America, he entered Harvard as a Junion.
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On one of his long trips to Europe, John Quincy Adams met Louisa Catherine Johnson, his future bride. Louisa Catherine was the only foreign born first lady. Louisa was considered a polite, pleasant, and delightful woman. She was a stark contrast to John Quincy's cold manner... the two found love in each other. They were married for over 50 years. They had four children: George Washington Adams, John Adams, Charles Francis Adams, and Louisa Catherine Adams.
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John Quincy Adams was more than just the United States' sixth president. He was a child of the American Revolution, having witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was the son of the nation's second president, John Adams. And he was a successful diplomat. Chosen president by the House after finishing second in the electoral college, Adams became the first president to wear long trousers, rather than breeches, at his inauguration, on March 4, 1825. After one term as president, he went on to serve with distinction for seventeen years in the House of Representatives.
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