JOHN ADAMS letter to Thomas Jefferson Apr. 19 1817

John Adams, the first vice president from 1789 to 1797 and the second president from 1797 to 1801 of the United States, figured during the American Revolution, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and the shaping of the Constitution.

A Founding Father, Adams came to prominence in the early stages. A cousin of revolutionary leader Samuel Adams, John Adams was a lawyer and public figure in Boston. As a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, Adams played a leading role in persuading Congress to declare independence. He assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and was its primary advocate in the Congress.

Later, as a diplomat in Europe, he helped to negotiate the eventual peace treaty with Great Britain and responsibly obtained vital governmental loans from bankers of Amsterdam.

A political theorist and historian, Adams largely wrote the constitution of Massachusetts in 1780, which together with his earlier

Thoughts on Government

, influenced American political thought.

One of his greatest roles was as a judge of character: he in 1775 nominated George Washington to commander-in-chief and 25 years later nominated John Marshall to Chief Justice of the United States.

Revolutionary credentials secured Adams two terms as vice president of George Washington and secured his own election in 1796 as the second president. During his one term as president, he encountered ferocious attacks by the Jeffersonian Republicans as Alexander Hamilton, his bitter enemy, led the dominant faction in his own Federalist Party. Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts and built up the army and navy especially in the face of an undeclared naval "quasi-war" with France, 1798–1800.

The major accomplishment of his presidency peacefully resolved the conflict in the face of opposition of Hamilton. Adams, often called the "father of the American Navy," promoted a strong defense.

In 1800, Thomas Jefferson defeated Adams for reelection, and Adams retired to Massachusetts. He later resumed his friendship with Jefferson. He and his wife founded an accomplished family line of politicians, diplomats, and historians now referred to as the Adams political family.

Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States. His achievements have received greater recognition in modern times, though his contributions were not initially as celebrated as those of other Founders. Adams was the first president of United States to reside in the executive mansion, eventually known as the White House.

He, a well educated Enlightenment political theorist, promoted republicanism as well as a strong central government and wrote prolifically about his often seminal ideas in published works and letters to Abigail Adams, his wife and key adviser.