John Adams
(1735-1826) Founding father. Second President of the United States, first vice-president of the U.S., member of the Continental Congress, helped draft the Declaration of Independence, helped negotiate the treaty of Paris with England in 1783.
Also known as the Paris Peace Treaty, this agreement ended the United States War for Independence, giving formal recognition of the United States, and established it's then-boundaries. Second President (1797-1801) John Adams devoted much of his presidential energy to dealing with infringements on American neutrality in an Anglo-French war. He succeeded in keeping the United States from being drawn into those hostilities. He did so, however, at great cost to his popularity, and he left office feeling much battered and wrongly abused. Many years later, Adams observed: "No man who ever held the office of President would ever congratulate a friend on obtaining it."
THE PARIS PEACE TREATY (PEACE TREATY of 1783):
In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity. It having pleased the Divine Providence to dispose the hearts of the most serene and most potent Prince George the Third, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, duke of Brunswick and Lunebourg, arch- treasurer and prince elector of the Holy Roman Empire etc., and of the United States of America, to forget all past misunderstandings and differences that have unhappily interrupted the good correspondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore, and to establish such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse , between the two countries upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience as may promote and secure to both perpetual peace and harmony; and having for this desirable end already laid the foundation of peace and reconciliation by the Provisional Articles signed at Paris on the 30th of November 1782, by the commissioners empowered on each part, which articles were agreed to be inserted in and constitute the Treaty of Peace proposed to be concluded between the Crown of Great Britain and the said United States, but which treaty was not to be concluded until terms of peace should be agreed upon between Great Britain and France and his Britannic Majesty should be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly; and the treaty between Great Britain and France having since been concluded, his Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the Provisional Articles above mentioned, according to the tenor thereof, have constituted and appointed, that is to say his Britannic Majesty on his part, David Hartley, Esqr.
Adams recognized that the security of the nation was at risk and he made peace with the French to end the Quazi War. He knew this was going to ruin his chances of a second term but he put the soundness of the nation over his own. John Adams focus on the stability of his nation made him unpopular at times but he knew what was best for nation and did
In June of 1797 the relationship between France and the United States worsened. Jay's Treaty of 1795 angered France, who was at war with Britain and recognized the treaty as support of an Anglo-American alliance. Almost 300 American ships bound for British were seized by France. Marshall finally accepted a national appointment from President John Adams as one of the three representatives to France to negotiate peace. He accepted because he was concerned about the controversy. However, when Marshall and the other representatives arrived in France, the French refused to negotiate unless the United States paid massive bribes.
George Washington contributed in helping establish a stable government after the adoption of the Constitution. Washington negotiated treaties to help stabilize the United States government. The first treaty was the Jay Treaty with Great Britain. This treaty was to address any loose ends that America had with its mother country including unfair trade policies, presence of British troops, and impressment of American sailors. Impressment was when the British would kidnap American sailors and force the sailors to work in their military under brutal conditions. Through the treaty, the U.S. realized on an international level how weak America appeared, as well as not have much negotiating power with Great Britain in the treaty. People disliked how the United States gave into Britain’s negotiations. Although the Jay Treaty did not do much for America, the Pinckney Treaty did. This treaty was negotiated with Spain, who controlled New Orleans at the time, and allowed the Unites States to use the New Orleans port to trade. This was considered a very successful accomplishment, as farmers in the Northwest Territory could now ship their goods down by the Mississippi River to trade. Washington also helped to
John Adams began his career as a lawyer, and he first rose to prominence as an opponent of the Stamp Act of 1765 which deprived the American colonists of two basic rights guaranteed to all Englishmen, and which all free men deserved: rights to be taxed on only by consent and to be tried only by a jury of one?s peers. Then, he successfully defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre (1770) with only two of the eight found guilty of manslaughter believing that it was important to ensure that innocents were protected. From 1770 ? 1774, Adams served in the Massachusetts legislature and was then elected a member of the Continental Congress. He nominated Washington to be Commander-in-Chief and was part of the committee that worked to draft the Declaration of Independence.
The United States of America have had their good and bad presidents throughout the course of our history. Of the seven-founding father of the United States John Adams whose presidency started in the year 1796, and became second president of the U.S. Adams main objective was to avoid war with France. Through the event known as the XYZ affair John Adams didn’t long to go to war with France in order to gain their respect. Under Adam’s administration he passed the Aileen and Sedition acts of 1798, which outlawed defiant speech. In addition, he maintained George Washington’s original cabinet. Adams was a supporter of equality, as well as justice but had difficulties following through with his beliefs during his presidency.
Born in January of 1737, John Hancock grew up to become a prominent founding father and important Patriot in American history. Filling many roles throughout his life, John Hancock shaped the course of the Revolution by standing out against the British rule. Originally a merchant and statesmen, Hancock became the president of the Second Continental Congress and helped convince all thirteen colonies to unite for their independence (History). Hancock stood for freedom in a time in which many leaders still hesitated to declare independence, and his influence convinced many colonists to unite against tyranny and still inspires many people today. To play such a significant role in the history of America, however, Hancock grew from experiences long
In the Revolutionary period, John Adams was a leader who was one of the founding fathers and advocate for the independence of America. He was a member of the Continental Congress. During the Revolutionary War, Adams served in France and Holland in a diplomatic role. After George Washington was elected as the President, he was put under Washington as the first Vice President. After Washington’s presidency, Adams, who was a part of the Federalists, was elected President on March 4, 1797 with Thomas Jefferson, his friend and rival, as Vice President.
Thomas Jefferson was at the center of American history for more than half a century. He was a man of many talents, he was the author of the Declaration of Independence, and he was the third President of the United States.
THOMAS JEFFERSON, author of the Declaration of Independence, was born on April 13, 1743 and grew up on the family plantation at Shadwell in Albermarle County, Virginia. His father was Peter Jefferson, who, with the aid of thirty slaves, tilled a tobacco and wheat farm of 1,900 acres and like his fathers before him, was a justice of the peace, a vestryman of his parish and a member of the colonial legislature. The first of the Virginia Jefferson's of Welsh extraction, Peter in 1738 married Jane Randolph. Of their ten children, Thomas was the third. Thomas inherited a full measure of his father's bodily strength and stature, both having been esteemed in their prime as the strongest men of their county. He also inherited his father's inclination to liberal politics, his taste for literature and his aptitude for mathematics. The Jefferson's were a musical family; the girls sang the songs of the time, and Thomas, practicing the violin assiduously from boyhood, became an excellent performer.
John Adams was born on October 30, 1725 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on the family farm. He was the older of two younger brothers, Peter and Elihu. John was named after his father John Adams Sr. His father was said to be the town's tax collector, selectman, constable and lieutenant of the militia. John Adams Sr. was the younger Adams’ role model. John’s parents gave him a lot of freedom. It was said that he doing activities outdoors and cared little for school. It is said that John’s stubbornness started at the age of ten when his parents were afraid that he was wasting his exceptional intellect. His father asked him what he was to do with his life and John said that he wanted to be a farmer. The next day his father took him out to the fields and worked him as hard as he could, hoping to teach him a lesson, but that night Adams sr. asked him if he was satisfied being a farmer and little John replied, “I like it very well sir.” Both of his parents were very surprised with his reply.
The soldier’s time to serve would be up in just ten days, the British continued to win battles, all hope of winning the war was fading and everyone was ready to put down their weapons and surrender to Great Britain. However, George Washington was not settling with anything less than trying their best. He kept that little flicker of hope that was still left, alive. The Continental Congress did not see much hope in the war either and turned the responsibility of the war to General George Washington. Washington received a message from Congress saying,
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 on his family’s plantation in Shadwell, Virginia. The third of six children his parents raised him modestly and his father schooled him to be a gentleman. The young Jefferson suffered an emotional shock, when at the age of 14 his father Peter Jefferson died. The young Jefferson was the first male of the family and so he received the bulk of his father’s assets, leaving him with a sizable fortune.
John Adams was born on October 30th, 1735 to John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston Adams. He was the oldest of three and lived in Braintree, Massachusetts. His father was a farmer, deacon, and town councilman. The Adams were not very wealthy and John Adams’ father knew he could only send one son and he wanted to send his eldest. However, John Adams told his father “I do not love books and I wish you would lay aside thoughts of sending me to college.” His father in reply asked him- “What would you do child? Be a farmer?” John insisted that he wanted to be a farmer and not a scholar. His father brought him to work the fields the next day. Farming was strenuous work and was most likely rough on John’s hands and back. The night after the long day of farming, His father questioned him “Well John are you satisfied with being a farmer.” John Adams refused to admit that his father was right but John Adams Sr said “I do not like it[farming] so well, so you shall go to school.” John Adams and his father found a compromise- John would go to a tutor that challenged his students instead of the town teacher that was unbearably easy. Adams excelled under the tutors teaching and was accepted to Harvard in 1751.
During Jefferson's two terms as president, the United States almost doubled in area with the purchase of the vast Louisiana Territory. America preserved its hard-won neutrality while France, was led by Napoleon's armies. Congress passed a law banning...
“[T]he man on the ten-dollar bill is the father of the American treasury system, a signer of the Constitution, one of the primary authors of the Federalist Papers, and the loser of the infamous duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Alexander Hamilton's earlier career as a Continental Army officer is less well known. Yet Hamilton's first experience in public service is important, not only because it was the springboard to his later career, but because it also deeply influenced his values and thinking” (Hamilton).