John Adams

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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. His father wanted him to study to become a minister but John desired to find another calling. He enjoyed rhetoric and public speaking and thought about being a lawyer but he did not think he was capable. He graduated from Harvard in 1755 with a BA degree. He started working as a school teacher in Worcester, Massachusetts. He then began studying law under James Putman after Putman took Adams to court sessions. He studied law at night and during the day he would teach. He was admitted into the bar at Braintree in 1758 and later opened h... ... middle of paper ... ...omas Jefferson. Although their different political views had made them enemies politically, they both started writing to each other and became close friends. As John Adams lay dying, some of his last words are said to have been “at least Jefferson lives.” What he did not know was that Jefferson had died a few hours before. On July 4th, 1826, the day that celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died. Works Cited Behrman, Carol H. “John Adams”. Lerner Publications Company, 2004. Print http://www.history.com/topics/john-adams http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/adams_j.htm http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnadams Schlesinger Jr., Arthur M.; Marcovitz, Hal. “John Adam”, p6. 2003. Article McCullough, David. “John Adams”. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001. Print

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