ADAMS 



ADAMS 



breathed his last. Once bitter enemies, in old 

 age the two men had become good friends, and 

 Adams' last words were, "Thomas Jefferson 

 still survives." Adams died in his ninety-first 

 year, the highest age attained by any President. 

 Abigail Smith Adams (1744-1818), was the 

 wife of John Adams and one of the most 

 famous women of Revolutionary times and the 



v days of the American republic. Dur- 

 ing her childhood she was always delicate, and 

 her education, so far as book-learning wont, 

 slight. But she read extensively and in 

 Liter life was known for her knowledge of the 

 best in literature. From childhood she always 

 associatod with people of learning and intelli- 



o. She was keen, sunny and witty, and 

 during many trying years she was a comfort 

 and support to her husband. She was no less 



>us than he in trying to secure American 

 independence. During the war she was fre- 

 quently separated from him, oven for several 



s at a time, while he was first in Com: 

 and later in Europe. She joined him in Paris 

 in 1784 and was also with him in England, 

 where she seems to have been rudely treated. 

 Mr*. Adams was the first mistress of the 

 White House, into which the Adams family 

 moved in 1800. Her description of the barn- 

 like structure, as it seemed to her, with its 

 great East Room, in which she used to hang 

 the family wash to dry, is one of the gems 

 from her pen. Her letters are extremely 

 valuable for their vivid pictures of social life 

 and for their clever comments on public men 



of that day. A.B.H. 



Other Items of Interest. Adams was the only 

 'lent whose son attained the same hitrh 

 honor. 



The popular nickname of Adams is "The 

 Finn Federalist." 



treaty of 1783, with the negotiation of 

 which Adams had much to do, is called by 



a competent authority "one of the most bril- 

 liant triumphs of modern diplomacy." 



During his term as President, his portrait 

 was painted by the famous Gilbert Stuart, who 

 painted so many of the great men of the Revo- 

 lutionary period. 



It was during his administration that the 

 seat of government was moved from New 

 York to Washington. 



The death of Washington occurred while 

 Adams was in the Presi hair. 



The Department of the Navy was created 

 during his term of office. 



The French called him the "Washington of 

 negotiations." 



Adams continued his judiciary appointments 

 up to midnight of the last day of his term of 

 office and even left some commissions unde- 

 livered on the executive table. These Jeffer- 

 son, his successor, set aside. 



It was during the period of tension with 

 France the "Quasi-War" as it was called 

 that Hail Columbia was written. 



Hearing the bells and cannon on the day 

 of his death, Adams asked the cause of the 

 celebration, and when told that it was Inde- 

 pendence Day he exclaimed, "Independence 

 forever!" 



The famous words "Sink or swim, live or 



die, survive or perish, I give my hand and my 



heart to this vote" are usually quoted as a part 



of a speech of Adams. In reality they repre- 



merely what Adams might have said in 



th" Declaration of Independence debate, and 



i from Webster's eulogy on Adams and 



Jefferson. 



In appearance he was much like the pictures 

 of "John Bull" short, stout, florid and dog- 

 Consult Chamber! In's John Adam*; Morse's 

 ra of Abigail and John Adania ; Parker's 

 Historic ixo the article United 



State*, subtitle Htetory, in these volume* 



THE STORY OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 



DAMS, .1. rr (1767-1848), 



sixth President O f the United States and 

 son of John Adams, the second President. 

 Both father and son were distinguished dij>l>- 

 3 



mats, and both represented their country in 

 Holland, in Russia and in Great Britain. John 

 Adams was minister to Great Britain in the 

 trying days at the close of the Revolutionary 



