What You Need to Know About John Adams' Life and Career

This essay will provide some interesting facts about Adams and his family. Learn about Abigail Adams, the writings of Thomas Jefferson, and more. You'll also learn about Adams's life in Quincy, Massachusetts. And you'll discover why the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were so important. In the end, you'll know that John Quincy Adams was more than just a politician.

Abigail Adams
While Barack and Michelle Obama have a fairy-tale love story, Abigail and John had an extraordinary bond. While they married in 1764, their relationship lasted for a generation and spanned four decades. Abigail Adams served as his first lady and was an ardent advocate for equal education and rights for all people. Their love story is a fascinating and enlightening look at two historical figures who had similar personalities and beliefs.

Abigail Smith Adams was born November 11, 1744, in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Her parents were Reverend William Smith of the Congregational Church and Elizabeth Quincy of a prominent political family in the state. Abigail was the second child in the family and was raised in an ordinary rural setting. She was educated at home, and her father's library gave her a head start in reading and writing.

Thomas Jefferson
The life of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson parallels many aspects of American history. John Adams served as the first president and Thomas Jefferson served as the second. Both men were highly educated. Thomas Jefferson was the youngest president in history and entered the College of William and Mary in his teens. In this time, he began to experience the growth of science and learned about the world system. Thomas Jefferson firmly believed that nature had called him to become a scientist. He also studied law in Virginia under George With, which was his first exposure to law as a branch of human history. Thomas Jefferson read widely, both as an expert on the subject of law and as a professional.

He spent his free time reading and visiting fashionable salons, which satisfied his thirst for culture. He traveled throughout Europe and interpreted the New World as a reflection of the Old. The classical Roman Capitol in Virginia was one of Jefferson's most important projects, and his collaboration with a French architect led to a classical revival in American architecture. Thomas Jefferson's career as president and as a scholar was both rich and varied.

Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence
There is no evidence that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence before Franklin and Adams. In fact, Jefferson's Rough Draft has twenty-six changes. The alterations were mostly changes of phraseology, and Jefferson submitted it for their review. The Rough Draft has no evidence of when these changes were made. Jefferson and Franklin did, however, agree that the document is clear, concise, and free from grammatical errors.

The Library of Congress has made available the original "Rough Draft" of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. It includes many edits from historical figures. Besides Jefferson, the Library of Congress has made high-resolution microfilm scans of the Declaration of Independence available online. Jefferson and the other founding fathers were appointed to a committee to draft the document on June 11, 1776. They included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. The document contains some important sections that Jefferson never incorporated in his final draft, such as condemning the slave trade and slavery.

Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Constitution
The Constitutional Convention was established on July 4, 1787, by Congress. Jefferson's draft is the most popular document in American history. It defines how our government will function. It establishes the right of the people to appoint members of Congress, and it gives the people a say in who is elected President. Each state will choose a number of Electors, each of whom will have one vote. The number of electors shall be proportional to the number of qualified electors in that state.

In the 1776 Continental Congress, Jefferson was elected to represent Virginia. His Virginia draft was a precursor of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wanted to return to his home state, Virginia, and help write the constitution there. The Continental Congress chose Jefferson to serve on a five-person committee to write the declaration of independence. In his first draft, Jefferson complains about King George III. In the final version, Jefferson is seen as a supporter of the new republic.