DemocratVice President · Massachusetts
John Adams"His Rotundity"
1789 first electedLeft office 17978 years servedBorn 1735 in Province of Massachusetts Bay, British AmericaDied 1826
Biography
John Adams (1735–1826) served as the 1st Vice President of the United States under George Washington from 1789 to 1797, then became the 2nd President from 1797 to 1801. A leading voice for American independence, he was a key figure at the Continental Congress, helped select Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, and later served as a diplomat in Europe, helping negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War. As Vice President, he found the role frustrating and largely powerless, famously describing it as "the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived." As president, his term was dominated by tensions with France (the "Quasi-War") and the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, which curtailed civil liberties and hurt his popularity. He lost re-election to his own VP-turned-rival Thomas Jefferson in 1800, in one of the young nation's first bitter partisan contests.
Additional Info
Spouse
Abigail Smith (m. 1764; died 1818)
Prior Offices
1st United States Minister to Great Britain, 1st United States Minister to the Netherlands, Chairman of the Marine Committee, 12th Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature, Delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from Boston, Massachusetts,
Fun Fact
Adams and Thomas Jefferson, despite becoming bitter political rivals, later reconciled in retirement through a famous, extensive correspondence — and both men died on the very same day, July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Adams's last words were reportedly "Thomas Jefferson survives," unaware that Jefferson had actually died just hours earlier that same day.
Election History
No election records found in the database yet.