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Perspectives of President John Quincy Adams Life

Hana Britland

American History 1820-1920

Dr. Theodore Zeman

May 1, 2013
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John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767, in Braintree,

Massachusetts. He was the eldest son of former President John Adams and

became the sixth President of the United States (18251829) being regarded

as one of the smartest presidents. He served as American diplomat, senator,

secretary of state, and congressional representative. He was a member of

the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-

Masonic and Whig parties. Even with his unproductive presidency due to an

uncooperative Congress, he has many accomplishments before and after his

presidency. Adams is remembered for helping formulate the Monroe

Doctrine, negotiating the Treaty of Ghent of 1814, gaining Florida from Spain,

forming the Transcontinental Treaty, fighting to receive anti-slave petitions

and being the founder of the Smithsonian Institution. He is the only ex-

president to be elected to the House of Representatives. Throughout his

career, Quincy Adams tried to keep the United States neutral in foreign

conflicts, supported the exploration of the west without European

interference, believed in funding public education, promoted scientific

advancement and discovery, and proposed vast internal improvements like

roads and canals.

John Quincy Adams life has been recorded in a collection of historical

literature. The literatures that will be focused on in this article will include

Robert V. Reminis biography John Quincy Adams, in the American

Presidents series, George A. Lipskys biography John Quincy Adams: His

Theory and Ideas, and Paul C. Nagels biography John Quincy Adams: a
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Public Life, a Private Life. This paper will compare these three books, noting

their differences and similarities. We will concentrate on John Quincy Adams

childhood, his career in politics, and his accomplishments as secretary of

state.

The early life of John Quincy Adams

There are many similarities that the three books all focus on of Adams

early life. Remini, Nagel, and Lipsky make emphasis on JQAs experiences in

Europe and his encounters of influential people like George Washington,

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. While the authors could see the

importance and influence of Johns visit to Europe as a child, they also

recognized that John regretted the time he spent abroad, saying that it

stunted his education because his studies were informal and lacked

organization and purpose.1 Remini and Nagel both stressed the importance of

the family name and the pressure that was put on Quincy to pursue moral

and intellectual excellence. As Nagel put it These Adams children had an

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ancestry remarkable even by New England standards. They also focused

on the struggles of how impatient he could be, how determined he was to

have his way, and how sensitive he was to criticism as a child that would

later cause problems for him in political office. Lipsky also focused on Johns

incapability to work with others. John believed his way was the right way and

other views were inferior to his. All three books contain the influential event

when John witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill with his mother at age eight.
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The battle gave him a better understanding of the price of freedom and it

was a turning point in his life when his parents started his demanding

education and severe discipline. He no longer could enjoy the pleasure of

being a child. Johnny himself grew to believe that he played too much and

must study more so that his parent should never be ashamed of me.3

Nagel goes more in-depth of the family history of both the Adams and

Smith side. He goes back to the clans founder, Henry Adams arriving in

Massachusetts Bay in 1632.4 Nagel shows Quincy Adams love for his home,

relatives, and family origin, portraying JQA as a happy and proud child. He

also explains why Johnny gained reverence for his father. While Remini only

gives details of Johnnys hardships, depression, misery, and disrespect to

parents. Overall, Nagel goes in great detail of Johnnys youth. In contrast,

Lipsky does not mention Johnnys childhood like the other two authors do. He

does not dedicate a chapter for Quincys childhood, but combines it with his

career. He only mentions major events to clarify the Adamss system of

ideas.5 He mostly uses JQAs own workscollected letters and writings,

memoirs, speeches, etc.to form an adequate biography. It is short and to

the point.

The Career and Party of John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams career started when he went to Europe with his

father. Both Nagel and Lipsky start Johnnys career as a private secretary to

Francis Dana in St. Petersburg. Remini does mention JQAs time in St.

Petersburg and gives more detail of his experience in Russia than Lipsky
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does, but Remini focuses Johnnys starting career after his graduation from

Harvard University. Throughout the entire book, Remini and Nagel equally

told the public, private, and social life of John especial in his teenage years

and early career. They told of his love for the arts like theater and music.

They gave many accounts of Johnnys dairy, explaining the thoughts and

actions John took. They wrote what was important to Johnny like his goals in

public service, his family with Louisa Johnson an English woman, his studies,

and his determination to do right by his father. All three books constantly

reiterated Johnny love for knowledge (learning), he loved writing, language,

math, science, religion, and history. It is said that he was happy to go back

to his books after a hard days work and troubles.

The main attention of John Quincys early career was his time as a

minister to Prussia (1797) to the time as minister to Great Britain (1815).

Between 1797 and 1815, JQA became minister to Prussia, then returned to

the United States and became State Senator of Massachusetts while

teaching at Harvard, shortly after, President Madison made Adams minister

to Russia and lastly he became minister to England before becoming

secretary of state. All three authors describe Adams as a turncoat. His

political party became displeased with him because he did not always back

up there side. He said My sense of duty shall never yield to the pleasure of

party.private interest must not be put in opposition to public good.6

Lipsky takes it as far as saying John does not belong to any party.7
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There are not many differences between Reminis and Nagels book.

They both go through his career life in chronologic order and add social

aspects of his life too. But Remini thoroughly goes through all the position

that John held, giving individual details. He even writes of Johns failed law

practice. Than he concentrates more on Johns main accomplishments like

the friendship with Czar Alexander I and the negotiation of the Treaty of

Ghent. Even though Nagel names all of Johns positions, he focuses more on

his private life, especially during his ministry to Prussia. Nagel emphasized

Johns public life more in events like getting a seat in the Senate and

negotiating the Treaty of Ghent. Nagel made Johns attendance at Harvard

the golden years of Johns life. He dedicates a chapter to his life in Harvard
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and makes him out as a celebrity, even calling the chapter Celebrity.

Lipsky again is very brief with Johns career. He gave equal importance

to each event mentioned in his book, except of course his involvement in the

treat of Ghent and during his time as secretary of state. Lipsky divides Johns

life and career story into a chapter to help strengthen the understanding of

Johns personality and politics. Lipsky book is not a typical biography; it is

more about the person of Adams politically. Even explaining his personality

describes his political view. He showed politics controlled his whole life.

Lipsky writes a considerable amount of Johns influence in foreign politics.

John was respected for standing up for his views and was also accepted for

his knowledge of languages and of the European systems.

Secretary of State
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All three books separate Johns time as secretary of state from his

career. Remini said JQA is arguably the greatest secretary of state to serve

that office. His negotiating skills and diplomatic insights were mainly

responsible for the transformation of the United States into a

transcontinental nation, an action that guaranteed the emergence of this

country as a world power.9 They all say that JAQ intended to build a new era

of relations with Great Britain by negotiating many of the issues left

unsettled at Ghent. He started with the Fisheries question that dealt with the

liberty of Americans to fish off the banks of North America. Through this

negotiation, Quincy Adams tried to persevere his fathers belief that it is an

American right to fish in this area. He felt obligated to finish what his father

started. The authors make Johns secretary office a time of victory. Quincy

drew up proposals related to the question of binderies, fisheries,

impressment, freedom of seas, and slave owners compensation for property

seized during the War of 1812. This resulted in the making of the Convention

of 1818 which also made a boundary line from the Lakes of the Woods to the

Rocky Mountains. The Convention of 1818 was passed, but it did not resolve

impressment.

Another achievement of Adams was gaining Florida from Spain. When

Andrew Jackson led an army across Florida lines to attack the Seminole

Indians, he also executed two British nationals for arming the Indians and

encouraging them to assault American settlers. Members of the cabinet were

against Jackson actions, but Adams defended him. He justified General

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Jacksons action by arguing that Spain was incapable to police their territory

and prevent savages from killing American citizens. The President accepted

Quincys argument. Through this the Transcontinental Treaty was formed. It

established the western boundary of Louisiana Purchase and the US gained

Florida. Spain also surrendered its claim to the Pacific Northwest to the US.

Remini and Nagel argue that it was the greatest diplomatic victory won by

any single individual in the history of the United States.10

Remini, Nagel, and Lipsky cover Adams hope that Europe would stop

meddling in American affairs, just as the United States would stay clear of

European concerns. This was a leading doctrine of Adams. With neutrality

from both sides Adams also hoped that the US could expand westward

without European interference and protect South America as well from

European influence. Remini and Lipsky make more emphasis on Quincys

passion for neutrality. He wanted to strengthen America and he believed that

was possible by eluding European conflicts. All three authors pull attention to

the same events, but Nagel brought up family situation too, while Lipsky and

Remini only gave political interpretations.

In the last year of Adams secretary office, he helped formulate the

Monroe Doctrine. The Doctrine covered the ideas of non-colonization and

nonintervention by any country in the new world. It also marked the

expansion of the European system as dangerous to the peace and safety of

America. Together all three books perceive this as Johns triumphant

moment, for himself and his country. But Remini does not give as much
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credit to Adams as Nagel and Lipsky do. Remini says that Adams only

advanced the ideas of the doctrine and he was brief in his explanation. Nagel

and Lipsky go into more detail and give more credit to Adams. They say, not

only did he inspire the core makings of the Monroe Doctrine, but he nearly

wrote the whole thing and then Monroe consented to it. Once again Nagel

adds troubles and events of Johns family life. As his book is titled JQA: A

Public life, a private life, he is fair to comment on Johns political life and

family in all instances.

Later on when John was running for president, the authors focus more

on the election process of 1824 than Quincys actual Presidential term. After

his presidency, John was elected to the House of Representatives. There he

fought to end slavery, passing the "gag rule". On February 21, 1848, Adams

collapsed on the floor of the House. He suffered a massive cerebral

hemorrhage and was carried to the Speaker's Room, where he died two days

later, on February 23, 1848.

Even though JQAs did not achieve anything as president, he influenced

the country and American politics through his foreign negotiations. Between

these three books, I enjoyed Robert Reminis biography the most. It is well

organized and his balance between his political and private life is excellent.

He used many quotes that enhanced the credibility and story. Lipskys book

was the hardest to read probably because it is an older book. The

organization was also distasteful to me, but it is very well written adding

other significant views of Johns Ideas and theories. Paul Nagel book would
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be my second choice. It is very similar to Remini, but with more detail. I did

enjoy the extra experiences, but I think he added too much detail. There

were parts in the book that were unnecessary to explain his life story. But as

a collection the books were even more valuable, each focusing on different

event in JQAs life.

Notes
1. Robert V. Remini, John Quincy Adams. (New York: Henry Holt and
company, 2002), 17-18

2. Quoted in Paul C Nagel, John Quincy Adams: a Public Life, a Private

Life. (New York: Knopf, 1997), 3

3. Quoted in Nagel, John Quincy Adams, 11

4. Nagel, John Quincy Adams, 4
5. George A. Lipsky, John Quincy Adams: His Theory and Ideas. (New York:
Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1950), 7

6. Quoted in Remini, John Quincy Adams, 38

7. Lipsky, John Quincy Adams, 256-261
8. Nagel, John Quincy Adams, 25
9. Quoted in Remini, John Quincy Adams, 51
10. Quoted in Nagel, John Quincy Adams, 266
11.
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Bibliography

Lipsky, George A. John Quincy Adams: His Theory and Ideas. New York:
Thomas Y. Crowell
Company, 1950

Nagel, Paul C. John Quincy Adams: a Public Life, a Private Life. New York:
Knopf, 1997

Remini, Robert V. John Quincy Adams. New York: Henry Holt and company,
2002