John adams us president biography templates

Adams wrote the Braintree Instructions in a letter to the Braintree delegates in the Massachusetts legislature in Adams also spoke before the governor and council in Decemberdeclaring the Stamp Act unconstitutional without Massachusetts representation in Parliament. While Adams wrote forcefully against the act, he refused attempts by Samuel Adams, a leader in popular movements, to include him in mob activities and public protests.

Tensions with Britain briefly eased after the Stamp Act was repealed in early Aside from politics, Adams relocated his family to Boston in April to concentrate on his law practice. The family rented a residence on Brattle Street, known as the White House by the locals. He, Abigail and the children resided there for a year before moving to Cold Lane and subsequently to a larger house in Brattle Square in the city centre.

When a mob approached a lone British sentry on 5 Marcheight of his fellow troops reinforced him, and the gathering around them expanded to several hundred people. The Townshend Acts were a set of British acts of Parliament passed between and that established a set of taxes and rules to fund the administration of the British colonies in America.

Snowballs, ice and stones were thrown at the soldiers, and in the ensuing commotion, the soldiers opened fire, killing five citizens in the historic Boston Massacre. The suspected soldiers were arrested on murder charges. When no other lawyers would defend them, Adams felt compelled to do so despite the risk to his reputation. He felt that no one should be denied counsel or a fair trial.

The remaining troops were tried in December, and Adams delivered his famous argument on jury decisions: Six of the troops were acquitted by Adams. This exposure improved the success of his law practice and the demands on his time. The Founding Fathers were a group of lateth-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, established the United States USand crafted a government framework for the new nation.

In the GazetteAdams stated that these measures would weaken judicial independence and bring the colonial government closer to the Crown. The resolution was debated in Congress on 1 July. It was expected to pass, but opponents like John Dickinson made a concerted attempt to stop it. On 2 July, Congress adopted the document after further revision.

Twelve colonies voted in favour, but New York voted no. Adams as the Head of Board of War and Ordnance Adams was appointed to the Board of War and Ordnance, which recorded the officers in the army and their ranks, troop placement throughout the provinces, and ammunition. Adams served as de facto Secretary of War. He requested that Congress send representatives to discuss peace.

Adams and the Treaty of Paris After negotiating the loan with the Dutch, Adams was reappointed as the American commissioner to negotiate the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war. However, Jefferson did not initially travel to Europe, and Laurens was assigned to the Dutch Republic following his detention in the Tower of London. In the final negotiations, obtaining fishing rights off Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island proved crucial and challenging.

Jay and Adams opted to bypass France and engage directly with the British, overruling Franklin and distrusting Vergennes. Britain accepted, and the two parties worked out the other details later. Vergennes was enraged when he learnt of American dishonesty through Franklin but did not demand renegotiation. He was taken aback by how much the Americans could obtain.

Because of the independent negotiations, the French could claim innocence from their Spanish allies, whose demands for Gibraltar could have posed considerable issues. The pact was signed on 3 Septemberand American independence was recognised. According to early protocol, the person with the most electoral votes would be nominated president, while the one with the second most would become vice president.

On 13 AprilAdams left his hometown of Braintree for New York, where he would undertake the duties of vice president, second only to George Washington in authority. After American military defeats, he had to work even harder writing to officers throughout the army, asking about munitions, supplies and encouraging the army to maintain discipline.

InAdams travelled with his wife and family to France, to assist Benjamin Franklin with securing a trade agreement and assistance from the French. Adams strove hard to gain increased French naval assistance. InAdams went to the Netherlands to seek help from another Republic. However, fearing retribution from the British, the Netherlands made little effort to meet Adams, and he left disappointed.

In the Netherlands, he also fell seriously ill — a mental breakdown from years of intense work. In latethe Continental Army, with naval assistance from the French triumphed at Yorktown. When news reached Europe, it was a major shock and showed that the mighty British Empire was vulnerable and the United States a viable proposition. With this change in military success, the Dutch agreed to receive Adams, and he negotiated a loan of five million guilders and a treaty of friendship and commerce.

Inhe was appointed the first American ambassador to Great Britain. He met George III, and despite being one of the greatest opponents of American independence, George III met cordially with him, and both men promised to do their best to enforce the new john adams us president biography templates between the two nations. However, in Great Britain, courtiers were unfriendly with Adams and his wife Abigail, so he sought to spend little time in the court.

He increasingly felt homesick and wished to return to his farm in America. The couple were briefly joined by Thomas Jefferson, and they travelled historical sites of England before returning to the US. InAdams stood in the first American presidential elections. As expected Washington stood first 69 votes, with Adams in second place 34 votes.

This meant Adams was elected to the Vice-President. However, his pride was hurt by losing the vote so badly to Washington. As Vice-President, his powers were limited to presiding over the Senate. He created more political enemies when he tried to get the Senate to adopt fancy labels for the President. His suggestions were satirised and he was heavily defeated.

After that Washington rarely consulted Adams, and he remained on the periphery of government, rarely participating in elections.

John adams us president biography templates

It did not help that Adams could be stubborn and proud. He had a habit of creating conflict; he was also conscious that he was overshadowed by other Founding Fathers, who had a greater physical stature and defter political touch. Adams said of his time as vice-president:. However, with Washington not wishing to take a third term, inAdams stood for the Presidential election for the Federalist Party.

Thomas Jefferson was the main candidate for the Democratic-Republicans It was a bitterly partisan election, with Federalists accusing the Democratic-Republicans of supporting the violence and anarchy of the French Revolution and the Republicans accusing the Federalists of being sympathetic to British style monarchy and aristocracy.

By topic. Earth sciences. Physical science. Social studies. Social studies by grade. PreK social studies. Kindergarten social studies. High school social studies. Social studies by topic. Ancient history. European history. Native Americans. Middle ages. World history. American sign language. Art history. Graphic arts. Visual arts.

Performing arts. Instrumental music. Music composition. Vocal music. Special education. Speech therapy. Social emotional. Character education. Classroom community. School counseling. School psychology. Social emotional learning. Career and technical education. Child care. For all subjects. Ferling writes, "By the fall of no one in Congress labored more ardently than Adams to hasten the day when America would be separate from Great Britain.

Throughout the first half ofAdams grew increasingly impatient with what he perceived to be the slow pace of declaring independence. In the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, he helped push through a plan to outfit armed ships to launch raids on enemy vessels. Later in the year, he drafted the first set of regulations for the provisional navy.

He developed a rapport with delegate Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, who had been slower to support independence but by early agreed that it was necessary. On June 7,Adams seconded the Lee Resolution, which stated that the colonies were "free and independent states. Prior to independence being declared, Adams organized a Committee of Five charged with drafting a Declaration of Independence.

Livingston and Roger Sherman. Jefferson thought Adams should write the document, but Adams persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson. Many years later, Adams recorded his reasoning to Jefferson: "Reason first, you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular.

You are very much otherwise. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can. Accounts written years later by Jefferson and Adams, although frequently cited, are often contradictory. Although the first draft was written primarily by Jefferson, Adams assumed a major role. On July 1, the resolution was debated in Congress. It was expected to pass, but opponents such as Dickinson made a strong effort to oppose it.

Jefferson, a poor debater, remained silent while Adams argued for its adoption. Many years later, Jefferson hailed Adams as "the pillar of [the Declaration's] support on the floor of Congress, [its] ablest advocate and defender against the multifarious assaults it encountered. Twelve colonies voted in the affirmative, while New York abstained.

Dickinson was absent. On July 3, Adams wrote to Abigail that "yesterday was decided the greatest question which was ever debated in America, and a greater perhaps never was nor will be decided among men. During the congress, Adams sat on ninety committees, chairing twenty-five, an unmatched workload among the congressmen. As Benjamin Rush reported, he was acknowledged "to be the first man in the House.

He was referred to as a "one man war department," working up to eighteen-hour days and mastering the details of raising, equipping and fielding an army under civilian control. Adams functioned as a de facto Secretary of War. He kept extensive correspondences with Continental Army officers concerning supplies, munitions, and tactics. Adams emphasized to them the role of discipline in keeping an army orderly.

He authored the "Plan of Treaties," laying out Congress's requirements for a treaty with France. He was worn out by the rigor of his duties and longed to return home. His finances were unsteady, and the money that he received as a delegate failed to cover his expenses. However, the crisis caused by the defeat of the American soldiers kept him at his post.

After defeating the Continental Army at the Battle of Long Island on August 27,British Admiral Richard Howe determined that a strategic advantage was at hand, and requested that Congress send representatives to negotiate peace. A delegation consisting of Adams, Franklin, and Edward Rutledge met with Howe at the Staten Island Peace Conference on September Howe's authority was premised on the states' submission, so the parties found no common ground.

When Lord Howe stated he could view the American delegates only as British subjects, Adams replied, "Your lordship may consider me in what light you please, except that of a British subject. Adams was unimpressed with Howe and predicted American success. He was able to return home to Braintree in October before leaving in January to resume his duties in Congress.

Adams advocated in Congress that independence was necessary to establish trade, and conversely, trade was essential for the attainment of independence; he specifically urged negotiation of a commercial treaty with France. He was appointed, along with Franklin, Dickinson, Benjamin Harrison from Virginia, and Robert Morris from Pennsylvania, "to prepare a john adams us president biography templates of treaties to be proposed to foreign powers.

The treaty adhered to the provision that "free ships make free goods," allowing neutral nations to trade reciprocally while exempting an agreed-upon list of contraband. By lateAmerica's finances were in tatters, and that September a British army had defeated General Washington and captured Philadelphia. More Americans came to determine that mere commercial ties between the U.

The defeat of the British at Saratoga was expected to help induce France to agree to an alliance. James Lovell invoked Adams's "inflexible integrity" and the need to have a youthful man who could counterbalance Franklin's age. On November 27, Adams accepted, wasting no time. Abigail was left in Massachusetts to manage their home, but it was agreed that year-old John Quincy would go with Adams, for the experience was "of inestimable value" to his maturation.

The trip was stormy and treacherous. The ship was pursued by British vessels, with Adams personally taking up arms to help capture one. A cannon malfunction wounded several sailors and killed one. Adams was annoyed by the other two commissioners: Lee, whom he thought paranoid and cynical, and the popular and influential Franklin, whom he found lethargic and overly deferential to the French.

He assumed a less visible role but helped manage the delegation's finances and record-keeping. Frustrated by the perceived lack of commitment on the part of the French, Adams wrote a letter to French foreign minister Vergennes in December, arguing for French naval support in North America. Franklin toned down the letter, but Vergennes ignored it.