John Adams, 2nd President


John Adams (October 19, 1735 - July 4, 1826) was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States (1797-1801). Adams, a prominent lawyer and public figure in Boston, was highly educated and represented Enlightenment values promoting republicanism. A Federalist, he was highly influential and one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States. As a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, he played a leading role in persuading Congress to declare independence. He assigned Thomas Jefferson the role of drafting the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, and assisted him in that process. Adams' revolutionary credentials secured him two terms as George Washington's vice president and his own election in 1796 as the second president. He was the first US president to reside in the building that eventually became known as the White House. His achievements have received greater recognition in modern times, though his contributions were not initially as celebrated as those of other Founders. In 1800, Adams was defeated for re-election by Thomas Jefferson and retired to Massachusetts. On July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Adams died at his home. Told that it was the Fourth, he answered clearly, "It is a great day. It is a good day." His last words have been reported as "Thomas Jefferson survives" (Jefferson himself, however, had died hours before Adams did).


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