John Adams Essay

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John Adams, the first vice president of the United States, an American Founding Father, and a well-educated Republican, is most commonly known for being the second president of the United States. As a lifelong opponent of slavery, Adams never bought a slave in his life. He assisted Thomas Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence and helped negotiate the peace treaty with Great Britain. Adams won the Presidential Election in 1796 with only three votes more than Thomas Jefferson. However, John Adams' life wasn't all about the presidency. His early life was as normal as anyone else's. John Adams was born on October 30, 1735, in Quincy, Massachusetts, to John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston. Adams' birthplace is now part of Adams National Historical Park. He was born into a normal but not wealthy farming family. His father earned a living as a farmer and shoemaker about fifteen miles away from Boston. Adams loved the outdoors and was always skipping school to go hunting and fishing. He would have preferred a life as a farmer, but later on, his dad insisted that he get a formal education. Adams attended a local school designed for teaching reading and writing skills, and he also attended a Latin school for those who planned to go to college. Adams commonly praised his father and indicated that he and his father were very close when he was a child. Young Adams went to Harvard College at age sixteen in 1751. His father expected him to become a minister, but Adams had doubts. After graduating in 1755, he taught school for a few years in Worcester, allowing himself time to think about his career choice. Later on, he decided to become a lawyer and studied law in the office of John P. [citation needed] Overall, John Adams is one of my favorite presidents mostly because of what he did and what he believed in.

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