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Presents a biography of John Quincy Adams ... Read more

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In his years after the Presidency, this son of the secondPresident served in the US House of Representatives with adistinction not often equaled. Late in his life he is asked todefend against an appeal to the Supreme Court to override thedecisions of lower courts on what came to be known as the Amistadmatter. Reluctant to take the case for a number of reasons, amongthem age and lack of practice, Adams exhibits his intense beliefin the necessity of the rule of law which he must articulatewith the passion of his convictions. Adams’ decision iswrenched from him by the members of the Amistad crew with the helpof Horace Greeley. ... Read more

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In compliance with an usage coeval with the existence of our Federal Constitution, and sanctioned by the example of my predecessors in the career upon which I am about to enter, I appear, my fellow-citizens, in your presence and in that of Heaven to bind myself by the solemnities of religious obligation to the faithful performance of the duties allotted to me in the station to which I have been called.

In unfolding to my countrymen the principles by which I shall be governed in the fulfillment of those duties my first resort will be to that Constitution which I shall swear to the best of my ability to preserve, protect, and defend. That revered instrument enumerates the powers and prescribes the duties of the Executive Magistrate, and in its first words declares the purposes to which these and the whole action of the Government instituted by it should be invariably and sacredly devoted--to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to the people of this Union in their successive generations. Since the adoption of this social compact one of these generations has passed away. It is the work of our forefathers. Administered by some of the most eminent men who contributed to its formation, through a most eventful period in the annals of the world, and through all the vicissitudes of peace and war incidental to the condition of associated man, it has not disappointed the hopes and aspirations of those illustrious benefactors of their age and nation. It has promoted the lasting welfare of that country so dear to us all; it has to an extent far beyond the ordinary lot of humanity secured the freedom and happiness of this people. We now receive it as a precious inheritance from those to whom we are indebted for its establishment, doubly bound by the examples which they have left us and by the blessings which we have enjoyed as the fruits of their labors to transmit the same unimpaired to the succeeding generation.

In the compass of thirty-six years since this great national covenant was instituted a body of laws enacted under its authority and in conformity with its provisions has unfolded its powers and carried into practical operation its effective energies. Subordinate departments have distributed the executive functions in their various relations to foreign affairs, to the revenue and expenditures, and to the military force of the Union by land and sea. A coordinate department of the judiciary has expounded the Constitution and the laws, settling in harmonious coincidence with the legislative will numerous weighty questions of construction which the imperfection of human language had rendered unavoidable. The year of jubilee since the first formation of our Union has just elapsed; that of the declaration of our independence is at hand. The consummation of both was effected by this Constitution.


Download Papers Of Presidents John Quincy Adams Now! ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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why?
why is there a photo of the Moai of Easter Island on the cover of a book about John Quincy Adams? ... Read more

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From Chapter One: "On July 11, 1767, in the North Parish of Braintree, since set off as the town of Quincy, in Massachusetts, was born John Quincy Adams. Two streams of as good blood as flowed in the colony mingled in the veins of the infant. If heredity counts for anything he began life with an excellent chance of becoming famous—non sine dîs animosus infans. He was called after his great-grandfather on the mother's side, John Quincy, a man of local note who had borne in his day a distinguished part in provincial affairs. Such a naming was a simple and natural occurrence enough, but Mr. Adams afterward moralized upon it in his characteristic way:—

'The incident which gave rise to this circumstance is not without its moral to my heart. He was dying when I was baptized; and his daughter, my grandmother, present at my birth, requested that I might receive his name. The fact, recorded by my father at the time, has connected with that portion of my name a charm of mingled sensibility and devotion. It was filial tenderness that gave the name. It was the name of one passing from earth to immortality. These have been among the strongest links of my attachment to the name of Quincy, and have been to me through life a perpetual admonition to do nothing unworthy of it.'"
Original Copyright 1882 and 1898 ... Read more

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Formatted for the Kindle. Linked Contents and footnotes.

Excerpt:
CHAPTER I.

BIRTH. — EDUCATION. — RESIDENCE IN EUROPE. — AT COLLEGE. — AT THE BAR. — POLITICAL ESSAYS. — MINISTER AT THE HAGUE. — AT BERLIN. — RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES.

John Quincy Adams, son of John and Abigail Adams, was born on the 11th of July, 1767, in the North Parish of Braintree, Massachusetts — since incorporated as the town of Quincy. The lives and characters of his parents, intimately associated with the history of the American Revolution, have been already ably and faithfully illustrated.[1]

The origin of his name was thus stated by himself: "My great-grandfather, John Quincy,[2] was dying when I was baptized, and his daughter, my grandmother, requested I might receive his name. This fact, recorded by my father at the time, is not without a moral to my heart, and has connected with that portion of my name a charm of mingled sensibility and devotion. It was filial tenderness that gave the name — it was the name of one passing from earth to immortality. These have been, through life, perpetual admonitions to do nothing unworthy of it."... ... Read more

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He was born in 1767, a subject of the British Empire, and died in 1848, a citizen of the United States and a member of Congress in company with Abraham Lincoln. In his dramatic career he had known George Washington and Benjamiin Franklin, La Fayette of France, Alexander I of Russia, and Castlereagh of Great Britain. He had both collaborated and quarrelled with Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster. In his lifetime Americans had fought for and established their independence, adopted a Constitution, fought two wars with Great Britain and one with Mexico. They had expanded south to the Rio Grande and west to the Pacific. At the time of his death, Adams was seen as a living connection between the present and past of the young republic and his passing severed one of the nation's last ties with its founding generation. As son of the second president of the United States, father of the minister to the Court of St. James, and grandfather to author Henry Adams, John Quincy Adams was part of an American dynasty. In his own career as secretary of state, President, senator, and congressman, Adams was as an actor in some of the most dramatic events of the nineteenth century. In this concise biography, Lynn Hudson Parsons masterfully chronicles the life of one of America's most absorbing figures. From the day in 1778 when, as a boy, he accompanied his father on a diplomatic mission to France, to his last years as an eloquent , cantankerous opponent of this country's foreign and domestic policies, Adams was rarely detached from public affairs. And yet, this biography reveals Adams as a man never truly at home anywhere--in Washington he was stubborn and reclusive, in Europe he was a phlegmatic ideologue, a bulldog among spaniels. His story parallels America's own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

John Quincy Adams biography
Ordered this book used.It is in excellent condition (as advertised).Very prompt service.
Also, loved the biography - very well written.I would suggest following up this read with Whelan's 'Mr.Adams Last Crusade' which gives a lot more detail to John Quincy's 17 years in the House of Representatives after his presidency.

Good bio on America's greatest secretary of state
Parsons does a fine job in explaining the life and goals of John Quincy Adams. He writes well and moves the book along.

In some areas I would have liked more explanation or greater detail, including the failure of JQA's presidency, but Parsons thankfully avoids getting bogged down as many biographers do. Nor does he skirt the ex-president's interesting career as a congressman after he left the White House. (There are several other books that explore that part of JQA's life more thoroughly).

As one would expect, Parsons likes his subject and at time goes easy on him, while Adams' enemies and their motives come in for somewhat tougher treatment (in a generally polite book).

One could question, for example, JQA's support for acquiring the Oregon territory while denouncing the acquisition of Texas. Like many politicians of the time, JQA could be guilty of measuring his support for any issue based on whether it might help or hurt slavery, regardless of any other consideration.

I give only the very greatest book five stars, so my rating should not be viewed as a negative. This is the best book available for anyone interested in the life and times of John Quincy Adams.

John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, the second President, was one of America's greatest diplomats. He made a name for himself as the country was being formed, especially with his defense of "the rules of law" against the will of the majority. He was one of the last of the old Federalists. He was a foreign minister to Holland, Portugal, and Prussia, and was Secretary of State under Monroe (where he was the main force in establishing the Monroe Doctrine). He became the sixth President in a controversial election that was decided in the House of Representatives.

Parson's short (272 pages) but thorough and well-written biography of Adams is a job well done. She details the accomplishments of his life, but focuses primarily on the man himself. Adams was a stern man (his portrait reminds me of some evil Dickens character, Marley perhaps), and not well-liked by the public. He believed that one should not "run" for a political office, but should just accept it if offered (imagine that today!). He hated Andrew Jackson and slavery, and fought hard against both. This is an excellent book on an interesting man.

You cheered his life after reading this book.
After reading this well written biography, I experienced the sorrows, joys, and accomplishments in the life of one of our country's greatest statesmen.

A highly recommended, easy reading bio of the 6th President
Lynn H. Parsons has written a biography that is blessedly free from 'academic speak' or the sense that he is only writing for other historians.This is definitely a biography for even the most casual lover of history. Parsons' familiarity with JQA allows him to introduce us to that prickly character as one would introduce an eccentric friend--always aware of the eccentricities but never apologizing for them. Adams (and his father) are two of the greatest of America's early statesmen and two of it's worst politicians.Parsons presents the genius and the folly and allows us to weigh our opinions--tho' its clear where Parsons' affections lie. It is hard to imagine that anyone will (or could) write a better one volume popular biography of JQA.Parsons clearly could tell us much more, but he chooses not to bog his narrative down in the kind of historical detail that glazes the eye of the casual reader.For serious historians this is a valuable book because it doesn't get lost in its own importance--the writing is direct, succinct and keeps the reader aware of the difference of the attitudes of Adams and his contemporaries to our current sensibilities. Parsons ends with a note that JQA's only monument in Washington is a small plaque in statuary hall in the Capitol.I would argue that Adams' best monument in DC is the one he would be proudest of--the Smithsonian Institution he fought so hard to help establish. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

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Following his single term as President of the United States (1825-1829), John Quincy Adams, embittered by his loss to Andrew Jackson, boycotted his successor's inauguration, just as his father John Adams had done (the only two presidents ever to do so). Rather than retire, the sixty-two-year-old former president, U.S. senator, secretary of state, and Harvard professor was elected by his Massachusetts friends and neighbors to the House of Representatives to throw off the "incubus of Jacksonianism." It was the opening chapter in what was arguably the most remarkable post-presidency in American history.

In this engaging biography, historian Joseph Wheelan describes Adams's battles against the House Gag Rule that banished abolition petitions; the removal of Eastern Indian tribes; and the annexation of slave-holding Texas, while recounting his efforts to establish the Smithsonian Institution. As a "man of the whole country," Adams was not bound by political party, yet was reelected to the House eight times before collapsing at his "post of duty" on February 21, 1848, and then dying in the House Speaker's office. His funeral evoked the greatest public outpouring since Benjamin Franklin's death.Mr. Adams's Last Crusade will enlighten and delight anyone interested in American history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A long neglected account
"Mr. Adams's Last Crusade" is an account of the long neglected vital influence of John Quincy Adams on the history of the U.S. from 1767-1848. Joseph Wheelan's evaluation of Mr. Adams's intellectual prowess is revealing. Mr. Adams's prescience and warnings to the younger generation, the Jacksonians, proved him correct. The U.S. suffered then and continues to do so now because Mr. Adams was not heeded. This book should be read by those interested in U.S. history and especially by those who consider themselves scholars of same. Wheelan's sources are excellent and without any doubt this book ranks with biographical commentaries by son Charles Francis Adams and grandsons Henry and Brooks Adams.

I have found a new hero from history (a history teacher's review)
I've known about John Quincy Adams's post-Presidential career ever since I read Profiles In Courage. by JFK many, many years ago. However, what I most remember about that description of him was that that he argued against slavery in the Congress when he could have just coasted along in a comfortable poltical semi-retirement.

Joseph Wheelan does us all a favor by elaborating on John Quincy Adams's amazing career in this well-written, informative book.Wheelan briefly covers John Quincy Adams's early career in the first 65 pages. As a teenager, John Qincy Adams was an assistant to his father while he was an ambassador to Europe during the Revolutionary War. He served as ambassador to several European countries after the War and also as Secretary of State (the Monroe Doctrine is as much his as Monroe's) and finally President.

Oddly enough, that amazing career was only a prelude to his final post - Representative from Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress. He reports to Congress at age 64. Adams was vaguely opposed to slavery but was very much in favor of the rights to free speech and petition. The Congress was avoiding any discussion of the topic of slavery, including ignoring all petitions to end slavery in Washington, D.C. (Congress administers the District of Columbia so it could have outlawed slavery within it by simple passage of a law).

Adams was idignant that a basic part of the Bill of Rights was being ignored so he began to read the peitions on the floor. He was told to stand down but he kept on reading. He was shouted it, threatened and shunned but he kept on reading. He began to investigate slavery, discovered he loathed it and was motivated to read even more petitiions. In fact, the conservative "Adams had become the de facto chief spokesman for many of those denied a voice in government - abolitionists silenced by the Gag Rule, slaves, Indians and finally, women." (p. 150)

Finally, after years of these struggles, Adams was censured by Congress for treason for presenting "a petition espousing the dissolution of the United States because of the 'peculiar institution' that the South so desperately wished not to discuss." (p. 196) Adams was previously known to be a poor public speaker but in this cause he found his voice. He was put on trial in the Congress and he defended himself for nine days. He spoke with soaring words, withering sarcasm, humor and anger. Ralph Waldo Emerson described him as a "bruiser" (p. 197) when discussing his poltical speach-making skills and he was not wrong. The charges were dropped but Adams's speeches destroyed the political careers of some of those who brought the charges of treason against him. He found his voice and he used it to full effect everywhere he went.

The unpopular president who could not seem to connect with the common man on any level became a sort of folk hero - the man who stands against the crowd and fights the fight that he knows is right despite the odds - and wins!

Adams's role in the establishment of the Smithsonian is also well-covered in the text as well as plenty of details about his personal life.

Adams was sitting at his seat in the House when he suddenly collapsed. Two days later he died in the Capitol building. His funeral procession was the most elaborate until Lincoln's 17 years later. with his death, most felt that their last living connection with the Revolutionary War era had ended - the youngest of that generation had passed.

Well-written, informative and inspiring - this book is highly recommended.

Excellent Book!!!!
I have been reading and studying the presidents since a was 8 years old. Now that I'm in my adulthood, I have grown to admire some of the them, those that most history teachers talk the least about. John Quincy Adams,our sixth president, was considered a "failure" after he left office, after a being a sucessful secretary of state. Thinking his political career all but dead, he is elected by his constituents to be their representation in the US House of Representatives. From thereon his political genius flurished along with his principals and ideals. I believe that it was in this time of his life that really understood his purpose in life... be a man not of party, but of your country. Believe me I see JQA in total different way. I strongly recommend this book for all history and biography lovers.

Country First.
For the most part, historians treat John Quincy Adams very poorly. Having left behind a quite complete, daily diary which is the delight of various academic wordsmiths, spin doctors and second guessers, he is always treated as some form of dysfunctional slacker by those who have written his biographies. My view of him has never changed. I always thought of him as independent in the true American sense, grumpy to be sure, but a remarkably brilliant man who chose his country and what was right over party affiliation. Until Joseph Wheelan's Mr. Adams Last Crusade, I felt sorry for this remarkably honest, gifted man. The academic deck just seemed too stacked against Adams by supposedly intelligent men for Adams to ever be recognized for his extraordinary contributions to his country. But thanks to Joseph Wheelan, no more!

After a lifetime in public service which included ambassadorships to the Netherlands, Spain, England and Germany, 8 years as Secretary of State under Monroe and his own term as President, he retires disgruntled, a self described failure. However, he returns to public life on December 5, 1831 at age 64, the only past president to do so, recalled by his 12th Congressional District constituency as a freshman congressman in the US House of Representatives. For 17 more years he would serve Massachusetts and the Nation in a strident defense of human rights. He became known as "Old Man Eloquent" for his stands for women's suffrage and against slavery, Texas Annexation, and the Indian Removal Act. Derided by the nation as he left his one term Presidency, he would go on to become the soul of the House of Representatives. He eschewed political parties and politics. As a result, his positions were complex, little understood by friend and foe alike. A strong abolitionist, he refused to join abolitionist organizations, believing the abolitionists, while right, were out to destroy the Union!

His sword was words, always rapier like, sharp, pointed, sarcastic and cutting. His position on women's suffrage was undeniably succinct,"I hope no member of the House of Representatives will ever again be found to treat with disrespect the sex of his Mother."On slavery,"If the Union must be dissolved, slavery is precisely the issue upon which it ought to break." On Georgia's illegal assertion of authority over the Cherokees,"You have sanctioned all those outrages upon justice, law and humanity, by succumbing to the power and the policy of Georgia." When Southerners passed the Gag Rule, suspending freedom of speech within Congress by making it illegal to even discuss slavery in the House, he would spend the next eight years flogging Southern Representatives with their own rule. He would ensure the monies left to the United States by Englishman James Smithson would be used for their intended purpose. As custodian, he pledged to guard the monies from "the canker of almost all charitable foundations - jobbing for parasites, and sops for hungry incapacity." As a result, today's Smithsonian Institution graces the Washington Mall.

Seen by his enemies, i.e., anyone who trampled on human rights, as evil incarnate, he approaches his zenith in his defense of the Amistad slaves before the US Supreme Court. After freeing the defendants, Justice Story would state in a letter to his wife, "extraordinary argument...Extraordinary for its power and its bitter sarcasm, and its dealing far beyond the record and points of discussion."

John Quincy Adams was a remarkable man. A President and son of a President, a direct descendant of one of the Founding Fathers and a man who was on a first name basis with many of the Founders, he was a man who, as a young boy, watched the battle of Bunker Hill from his home. More than anyone of his era, he understood what his country stands for: Liberty and human dignity.

You will truly enjoy this book.

John Quincy's turn to shine
For 35 years, John Quincy Adams served his country selflessly in several capacities including, Diplomat, Senator, Secertary of State, and 6th President of the U.S. The consensus among historians seems to be that Adams' one-term in office was a failure, largely due to his perceived "corrupt bargain" with Henry Clay. He left office isolated and unpopular. He could have easily retired to Massachusetts and lived out his life as a gentleman farmer. Thankfully for us, he decided to heed the call of his friends and neighbors and enter the House of Representatives. At 64, he was the oldest of 89 Freshman when he began serving in 1831. He died in his seat in 1848. It's these 17 years that are subject of Mr. Adams Last Crusade. Joseph Wheelan uses Adams' career as a jumping off point to discuss the entire Jacksonian Age, illuminating many of the critical flash points faced by politicians of this era. These included Slavery, Nullification, Indian removal and treatment, the Annexation of Texas and War with Mexico,and the settlement of the Oregon Territory. On most of these issues Adams led the principled opposition, regularly infuriating his southern counterparts. In addition he also chaired the committee in charge of spending James Smithson's $500,000 bequest. Thanks to Adams' recommendations and tireless championing The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846. One wonders how he ever found the time to consult on the Amistad case. This book contains the clearest synopsis of the issues involved in the case that I've read. When he died in 1848 at age 80, he was mourned by supporters and opponents alike, many considered him to be the greatest man of the age, and that's saying a lot considering who his contemporaries were.

I've read many Biographies of Presidents and Politicians, and this well written, informative gem ranks right up there near the top. It's my hope that it does for JQA what Mccollugh's Biography did for his father. Wheelan is slightly repetitive at times, but you'll barely notice as you are swept away by his engaging narrative. ... Read more

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The Sixth President of the United States

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... in the case of the United States, appellants, vs. Cinque, and others, Africans, captured in the schooner Amistad, by Lieut. Gedney, delivered on the 24th of February and 1st of March, 1841.With a review of the case of the Antelope, reported in the 10th, 11th, and 12th volumes of Wheaton's Reports. ... Read more

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State of the Union Addresses of John Quincy Adams

Here it is, the State of the Union Address. Every president makes them.

Kids need a quick and easy school report, trying reading these in class.

Need a quote to spruce up any report or presentation then this is for you.



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Adams wrote this book in 1836, after he served as president of the US. Here's the Preface for the book:

"Now that John Quincy Adams the sage, the phi
losopher, and the statesman has been gathered to
his fathers, an air of sanctity, never witnessed while
he was in life, surronnds everything he wrote or ut
tered ; and the odor of nationality " rises -gratefully,
from the emanations of his brilliant genius, and the
productions of his superior intellect."

He, indeed, touched nothing that he did not adorn
with the rich charms of the language he moulded at
his will, or the mental treasures of his inexhaustible
store. And no one, perhaps, among American states
men or men of letters, was better able than he to
pronounce the eulogies of Madison and Monroe.

In presenting to the public, these chef-d ceuvres of
a master hand, in a permanent form, the editor has
not the vanity to suppose he can add a single additional
charm. And yet, to the lover of history, and to the
politician, the notices of the administrations of those
two most eminent disciples of Thomas Jefferson, which
accompany them, may not be without interest.

One consideration which, above all others, has in
duced the preparation of these notices, is, that we
have nothing of a similar character, except what has
proceeded from political opponents.

THE EDITOR. "
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The 1828 presidential election, which pitted Major General Andrew Jackson against incumbent John Quincy Adams, has long been hailed as a watershed moment in American political history. It was the contest in which an unlettered, hot-tempered southwesetern frontiersman, trumpeted by his supporters as a genuine man of the people, soundly defeated a New England "aristocrat" whose education and political résumé were as impressive as any ever seen in American public life. It was, many historians have argued, the country's first truly democratic presidential election. Lynn Hudson Parsons argues that it also established a pattern in which two nationally organized political parties would vie for power in virtually every state.During the election of 1828 voters were introduced to a host of novel campaign tactics, includingco-ordinated media, get-out-the-vote efforts, fund-raising, organized rallies, opinion polling, campaign paraphernalia, ethnic voting blocs, "opposition research," and smear tactics.
In The Birth of Modern Politics, Parsons shows that the Adams-Jackson contest began a national debate that is eerily contemporary, pitting those whose cultural, social, and economic values were rooted in community action for the common good against those who believed the common good was best served by giving individuals as much freedom as possible to promote their own interests. It offers fresh and illuminating portraits of both Adams and Jackson and reveals how, despite their vastly different backgrounds, they had started out with many of the same values, admired one another, and had often been allies in common causes. Both were staunch nationalists, and both shared an aversion to organized parties and "electioneering."
But by 1828, caught up in a shifting political landscape, they were plunged into a competition that separated them decisively from the Founding Fathers' era and ushered in a style of politics that is still with us today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Planting partisanship's seeds
For most of us public school-educated Americans of a certain age, here is what our history classes sounded like: "Columbus in 1492 ... mumble, mumble ... Plymouth Rock and the first Thansgiving ... mumble, mumble ... Revolutionary War ... George Washington ... mumble, mumble, mumble ... slavery and the Civil War ... mumble, mumble ... cattle drive, cowboys, gold rush ... mumble ... World War I ... League of Nations ... World War II ... mumble, mumble ... zzzzzzzzz."

Most of us can recognize that Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams were presidents and if we really, really concentrated hard we might remember that Jackson gave us a victory at the Battle of New Orleans (though it came after the War of 1812 was concluded). But now Lynn Hudson Parsons has made some of those dusty names come alive in a very readable book that finds the seeds of modern politics in the 1828 presidential race between Jackson and J.Q. Adams.

This is a book that makes memorable a period of time that's often glossed over by teachers (or, more likely, napped through by bored students). There is enough sex, violence and intrigue to keep even the most bored student awake in history class. There's Jackson's famous temper that involved him in several duels in his younger years (and from which he still carried bullets lodged in his body from two of them). Then there's the scandal of Jackson running off with his future bride while she was still married to another man. The repercussions of that followed Jackson into the campaign and may have even contributed to his wife's death before he took the oath of office.

The Birth of Modern Politics draws stark comparisons between Jackson, the Southern little-educated orphan of immigrants, and Adams, the privleged son of the second president. Despite their differences, each man had a respect for the other and shared a sort of friendship. That friendship ended as Jackson and Adams locked horns for the presidency.

By 1828 the rules of the game had changed in elections. While blacks and women still were unable to vote, white males no longer had to be property owners in most states to vote. This brought an unprecedented number of new voters to the polls and Jackson's followers were the first to capitalize on this change. Likewise, the 1828 election saw coordinated political rallies, early attempts at fund-raising, and, perhaps the most lasting legacy, political partisanship.

Though it's a long way from today's 24-hour news cycle, sound bites and candidates racing back and forth across the country (candidates left the campaigning to their supporters in 1828), Parsons makes a convincing case that the election sewed the seeds of change in American politics. One of Parsons' most astute observations is the anti-intellectualism that accompanies tarring one's opponent as an "elitist." That's a tactic that still resonates in today's campaigns.

This is the kind of history book that not only brings history alive, but draws clear connections to the world we see about us today. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in politics and history.

Add this to your American Politics Collection!
This book is full of great information that any American History and Politics buff would absolutely love!

A Useful Overview of the Election of Andrew Jackson
This is an enjoyable and enlightening new book on the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828. It does a good job of discussing the coalition of supporters that put Jackson in the White House. It begins, appropriately with the collapse of the first party system and the election of 1824, which shaped fundamentally the 1828 campaign. The author contends that this election served as a watershed in the American political system. We have known this for a long time, but Parsons's goes further by insisting that the election of 1828 forever separated the politicians and people of the second American party system from the era of the Founders and its genteel, Enlightenment political ideals.

The author deals both with the rise of new styles of campaigning--emphasis on popular rallies, etc.--and on the division of American society into divergent pieces that had to be enticed to support the various organizations that could carry on the job of electing officials and formulating policies that reflected the priorities of its adherents. I'm not sure I would say that this election represented the "birth of modern politics," but it is a thought-provoking way to think about the election and its meaning.

While this is a very fine overview of its subject, clearly the author's primary intent, there is not that much new here for those immersed in the history of the era. The class divisions, the sectional influences, the push and pull of political traditions, the economics of the time, and the culture of the Antebellum U.S. are all present, but I looked hard for a new take on this and failed to find it. Instead it is a useful and succinct synthesis that builds on decades of historiographical contributions from a range of scholars, among them Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Robert Remini, Charles Sellars, Sean Wilentz, and others. I would recommend this book as an accessible survey of the election of Andrew Jackson, appropriate for classroom use, but not a benchmark in historical understanding of a well-studied subject.

Substantive and easy to read
Parsons packs an amazing amount of information in about 200 pages.While anyone who is familiar with this era will already have been exposed to a lot of what is said, the material is presented in an easily readable, logical, interesting manner.Really a quite good job accessable to anyone but also substantive enough for the already knowledgable.

an important step in understanding political development
The book makes a convincing argument that the election of 1828 is the first to resemble our current process.However aspects of modern politics occurred at different times.The beginning of true partisan electioneering definitely started in the 1800 contest between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.The book does acknowledge this and goes further to point out the changing electorate and the process for selecting electors.This would not be the final revision of these concepts.It's hard to draw a link to modern politics when election results were still factored by the three-fifths compromise.Two states also determined there electors in the state legislatures with no link to the popular vote.

The consensus among historians has been that the Jacksonian age was a revolutionary period in government, commerce, industry and of course politics.One problem I find with anointing this as the birth, is that both parties were not playing the same game using the same rules.Modern politics is a coordinated frenzy of press releases, rallies, debates, town halls and endorsements.The Jackson camp was really the only one using these tactics to their fullest advantage.It would still be years before these practices became the normal operation of political campaigns and evolve into their present state.A huge portion of modern politics is also fundraising and the Jackson's and Adam's did this but were not regulated in the way modern politicians are and since disclosure was not mandatory we can only estimate the influence and where the funds came from in 1828.

It's worth reading if you are not familiar with the period or looking for place to start.
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John Quincy Adams chapter from Facts about the Presidents, featuring data on the president-s background, life, and administration. Here you will find comprehensive,-uniformly arranged data on birth, family, education, nomination and election, congressional sessions, cabinet and Supreme Court appointments, vice president, first lady, and more--highlighting both the personal and political. Bibliographies guide readers to additional information on the president. ... Read more

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I live in the Faith and Hope of the progressive advancement of
Christian Liberty, and expect to abide by the same in death.

J. Q. Adams


MEMOIR

OF

THE LIFE OF

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

BY

JOSIAH QUINCY, LL. D.


Justum et tenacem propositi virum,
Non civium ardor prava jubentium,
Non vultus instantis tyranni,
Mente quatit solida.



BOSTON:
CROSBY, NICHOLS, LEE AND COMPANY.
1860.


Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by
PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO.,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of
the District of Massachusetts.



Stereotyped by
HOBART & ROBBINS,
New England Type and Stereotype Foundery,
BOSTON.



THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS
OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY,

This Work,

PREPARED AT THEIR REQUEST,
IS
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
BY
THEIR ASSOCIATE,

JOSIAH QUINCY.

BOSTON, _June 1, 1858_.




PREFATORY NOTE.


The ensuing Memoir comprises the most important events in the life of
a statesman second to none of his contemporaries in laborious and
faithful devotion to the service of his country.

The light attempted to be thrown on his course has been derived from
personal acquaintance, from his public works, and from authentic
unpublished materials.

The chief endeavor has been to render him the expositor of his own
motives, principles, and character, without fear or favor,--in the
spirit neither of criticism or eulogy.

JOSIAH QUINCY.

BOSTON, _June 1, 1858_.




CONTENTS.


PAGE
CHAPTER I.

BIRTH.--EDUCATION.--RESIDENCE IN EUROPE.--AT COLLEGE.--AT THE BAR.
--POLITICAL ESSAYS.--MINISTER AT THE HAGUE.--AT BERLIN.--RETURN TO
THE UNITED STATES,1


CHAPTER II.

RESIDENCE IN BOSTON.--RETURNS TO THE BAR.--ELECTED TO THE SENATE OF
MASSACHUSETTS.--TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.--HIS COURSE
RELATIVE TO THE ATTACK OF THE LEOPARD ON THE CHESAPEAKE.--RESIGNS
HIS SEAT AS SENATOR OF THE UNITED STATES.--APPOINTED MINISTER TO
RUSSIA.--FINAL SEPARATION FROM THE FEDERAL PARTY,25


CHAPTER III.

VOYAGE.--ARRIVAL AT ST. PETERSBURG.--PRESENTATION TO THE EMPEROR.
--RESIDENCE AT THE IMPERIAL COURT.--DIPLOMATIC INTERVIEWS.--PRIVATE
STUDIES.--APPOINTED ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO TREAT FOR PEACE WITH
GREAT BRITAIN.--LEAVES RUSSIA, 44


CHAPTER IV.

RESIDENCE AT GHENT.--AT PARIS.--IN LONDON.--PRESENTATION TO THE
PRINCE REGENT.--NEGOTIATION WITH LORD CASTLEREAGH.--APPOINTED
SECRETARY OF STATE.--LEAVES ENGLAND, 59


CHAPTER V.

FIRST TERM OF MR. MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION.--STATE OF PARTIES.--SEMINOLE
WAR.--TAKING OF PENSACOLA.--NEGOTIATION WITH SPAIN.--PURCHASE OF THE
FLORIDAS.--COLONIZATION SOCIETY.--THE ADMISSION OF.... ... Read more

Product Description
Memoirs of the sixth president and son of John and Abigail Adams. ... Read more

Product Description
Joseph Adams, the son of Henry Adams mentioned in the above inscription,
died on the sixth of December, 1694, aged sixty-eight years. Joseph, the
next in succession, died February 12th, 1736, at the age of eighty-four
years. His son John Adams, was a Deacon of the Church at Quincy, and died
May 25th, 1761, aged seventy years. This John Adams was the father of him
who was destined to give not only undying fame to his ancient family, but
a new and powerful impulse to the cause of Human Freedom throughout the
world.


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Product Description
The first Vice President and second President isdiscovered in the Executive Mansion (the White House) while it isunder construction. Not only is the seemingly always irascible manplagued by the incompleteness of the building, but in a reelection bidfaces the prospect of placing third in a four man race. Jefferson, hisVice President, has become a bitter enemy and Adams looks to strikeback, primarily through the person of John Marshall. Adams is rude tothe point of meanness and sentimental enough to draw tears from hiswife, Abigail, who joins him in the shambles of his new residence andhis faltering career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

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The plays in the History's Project's "Character in Time: The US Presidents" series are interesting and informative and, above all, very readable.People unfamiliar with reading plays should not be put off by the format -- after a few minutes time, it seems perfectly natural to read dialogue instead of normal prose.Students, especially, will appreciate the playwright's artful distillation of the subject's ideas and philosophy, as well as the lively presentation of his character -- there's really a lot of information packed into these small volumes.

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Product Description
An Excerpt from the book-

In compliance with an usage coeval with the existence of our Federal
Constitution, and sanctioned by the example of my predecessors in the
career upon which I am about to enter, I appear, my fellow-citizens, in
your presence and in that of Heaven to bind myself by the solemnities of
religious obligation to the faithful performance of the duties allotted
to me in the station to which I have been called.

In unfolding to my countrymen the principles by which I shall be
governed in the fulfillment of those duties my first resort will be to
that Constitution which I shall swear to the best of my ability to
preserve, protect, and defend. That revered instrument enumerates the
powers and prescribes the duties of the Executive Magistrate, and in its
first words declares the purposes to which these and the whole action of
the Government instituted by it should be invariably and sacredly
devoted--to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure
domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the
general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to the people of
this Union in their successive generations. Since the adoption of this
social compact one of these generations has passed away. It is the work
of our forefathers. Administered by some of the most eminent men who
contributed to its formation, through a most eventful period in the
annals of the world, and through all the vicissitudes of peace and war
incidental to the condition of associated man, it has not disappointed
the hopes and aspirations of those illustrious benefactors of their age
and nation. It has promoted the lasting welfare of that country so dear
to us all; it has to an extent far beyond the ordinary lot of humanity
secured the freedom and happiness of this people. We now receive it as a
precious inheritance from those to whom we are indebted for its
establishment, doubly bound by the examples which they have left us and
by the blessings which we have enjoyed as the fruits of their labors to
transmit the same unimpaired to the succeeding generation.
... Read more