Adams National Historical Park - People (U.S. National Park Service)

John Adams by Gilbert Stuart

John Adams 1735-1826
The son of a farmer, John Adams’s last public statement, “Independence Forever,” summarizes his immense contributions to the founding of the United States of America. Called the Atlas of Independence, Adams was a force that led us toward the Declaration of Independence in 1776. As a diplomat, Adams made peace with Great Britain and established the foundations of our foreign relations; as first vice-president, Adams helped forge the fledgling government; as second President, Adams kept us out of war and ensured the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next; as a respected lawyer, he crafted the Massachusetts Constitution, the longest-lived constitution in continuous use in the world today, and a model for the federal Constitution. As a person, Adams displayed a passion for learning and the outdoors, a love of family, and an enduring sense of humor. more...

Abigail Adams by Gilbert Stuart

Abigail Adams 1744-1818
Abigail Adams brought more intellect and ability to the position of United States First Lady than any other woman. President Harry Truman once noted that Abigail Adams "would have been a better President than her husband." Yet, she lived in an era when women were not supposed to have, or express, their opinions about government or the exciting events of the times. Abigail Adams struggled her whole life with the limitations that society placed upon her dreams. Despite these hardships, Abigail found a way to use her talents to serve her nation by assisting and advising her husband, President John Adams, and teaching and guiding her son, President John Quincy Adams. Throughout her 74 year life, this American heroine was an invaluable contributor to the founding and strengthening of the United States. more...

John Quincy Adams by John Singleton Copley

John Quincy Adams 1767-1848
No American who ever entered the presidency was better prepared to fill that office than John Quincy Adams. Born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts, he was the son of two fervent revolutionary patriots, John and Abigail Adams, whose ancestors had lived in New England for five generations. He would become a diplomat handicapped by a cold austere manner, a politician who hated politicking, a nationalist who maintained a love of his native New England. While many mysteries remain about this man it is safe to conclude that he was brilliant, courageous and painfully honest, not least with himself. Adams died thinking his career a failure, but it was only so by the impossibly high standards that he set for himself. Though he never fully grasped the underlying forces that were shaping America during his life, John Quincy Adams' patriotism and vision for freedom during the course of almost 70 years of public service made him one of the most important and influential contributors to the strengthening of the nation, whose birth he witnessed as a young boy from Penn's Hill. more...

Louisa Catherine Adams

Louisa Catherine Adams 1775-1852
Louisa Catherine Adams is often times omitted or forgotten in books of first ladies or notable American Women. Nevertheless, she made immense contributions to her nation and played a vital role in supporting her husband's, John Quincy Adams', career. Louisa's relative obscurity may be due to the fact that although she disliked the restrictions that society placed upon her as a woman, she conformed to them and concentrated on being a loyal wife and devoted mother. While some today may disagree with such priorities, it would be wrong to interpret Louisa's choices as evidence of her weakness, because Post-Revolutionary War America expected wives to subordinate their wishes to their husbands desires. Although Louisa did not openly challenge these standards, she frequently showed her abilities. When John Quincy Adams was weakened by the conflicts and hardships in his life it was often his wife who brought strength, courage and compassion to the family. Only through a thorough examination of this woman's life can we uncover the important place in history that Louisa Catherine Adams truly deserves.