John Adams' Influence on America

John Adams' Influence on America

JOHN ADAMS – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY HISTORY 1301 – U.S. HISTORY TO 1877 WHEN SEARCHING FOR THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON DURING THE EARLY U.S. HISTORY, GEORGE WASHINGTON COMES TO THE FOREFRONT. INCIDENTLY, DUE TO THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF THE RESEARCH, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION ON PEOPLE OR EVENTS ON HISTORY BEFORE 1877. TO MY SURPRISE, INFORMATION WAS LOCATED ON JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS. JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS SUPPOSIVELY HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE AND MARRIAGE TOGETHER. JOHN ADAMS SOMETIMES SEEMED TO BE A CONTRADICTING, RUDE AND OUTSPOKEN MAN, BUT AT OTHER TIMES PLAYFUL AND TENDER. ABIGAIL’S INTELLIGENT, CARING AND WITTY CHARACTER MADE UP FOR JOHN’S MANNERS, THEIR MARRIAGE SIGNIFIES THE POSITION IN WHICH A WOMAN WAS INVOLVED IN THE EVOLVING OF A GREAT MAN, FOR HER IMPORTANT FAMILY CONNECTIONS PROBABLY BENEFITED HIS CAREER. JOHN ADAMS WAS BORN IN 1735, BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS TO JOHN ADAMS AND SUSANNA BOYLSTON. JOHN ADAMS WAS THE ELDEST OF THREE SONS. MR ADAMS WAS A DEACON AND FARMER (WHICH MEANT THE FAMILY WAS NOT WEALTHY). MRS ADAMS WAS BORN FROM ONE OF THE FIRST FAMILIES OF MASSACHUSETTS (THE BOYLSTON’S OWNED A LOT OF PROPERTY). JOHN ADAMS GRADUATED FROM HARVARD IN 1755. UPON GRADUATING, HE WAS OFFERED A JOB TO TEACH IN WORCHESTER. LIKE MOST BACHELORS, JOHN HAD NO INTEREST IN CHILDREN OR THE SLIGHTEST UNDERSTANDING OF THEM. BUT LIKE ANYONE HE ADAPTED TO THE SITUATION, PROBABLY BECAUSE HE HAD TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS. JOHN MARRIED ABIGAIL SMITH IN 1764. ABIGAIL WAS THE SECOND OF FOUR CHILDREN, BORN IN 1744. ABIGAIL WAS A MINISTER’S DAUGHTER ( REV WILLIAM SMITH ) FROM THE NEARBY TOWN OF WEYMOUTH. SHE KNEW OF JOHN THROUGH A COUSIN, HANNAH QUINCY. JOHN WOULD COME TO HER HOUSE WITH HER SISTER’S (MARY) FINANCEE (MR CRANCH). JOHN AND ABIGAIL BEGAN DATING ON THE DAY THE FAMILY PLANNED HER SISTER’S WEDDING. JOHN THOUGHT ABIGAIL WAS THE MOST EDUCATED WOMAN HE HAD MET. ABIGAIL’S MOTHER, ELIZABETH QUINCY, DIDN’T THINK TOO HIGHLY OF JOHN BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT LAWYERS WERE WICKED. THEY COURTED FOR SOME TIME. MRS SMITH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DELAY, SUPPOSIVELY SHE COULD NOT BARE TO LOSE TWO DAUGHTERS IN ONE YEAR. UPON MARRIAGE TO JOHN, ABIGAIL MOVED TO BRAINTREE. SHE HAD TO TRANSITION FROM THE POSITION OF A FIRST FAMILY OF WEYMOUTH TO THE MODEST SOCIAL STANDING OF THE ADAMS. SOMEHOW ABIGAIL FOLLOWED THE SAME STEPS AS JOHN’S MOTHER (THE BOYLSTON, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST FAMILIES OF MASSACHUSETTS) WHO THOUGHT TO HAVE MARRIED BENEATH HER WHEN SHE CHOSE JOHN ADAMS.