John Quincy Adams called himself “a man of my whole country.” Willing to stand up for his beliefs, Adams’s independent spirit led him on a long journey of American service. It was a journey with many great victories and bitter defeats.
Born to patriots John and Abigail Adams, John Quincy Adams grew up during the American Revolution. He graduated from Harvard College in 1787 and became a lawyer. Adams served as a diplomat under President George Washington. When his own father became President, Adams was made ambassador to Prussia.
In 1803, Adams was elected to the U.S. Senate. His independence would be his downfall as senator. He was a New Englander and a member of the Federalist Party. However, in the 1807 fight over President Thomas Jefferson’s embargo bill, Adams voted against his party and his region to support it. The bill passed anyway, and his vote cost him his Senate seat.
Switching to the Democratic-Republican Party, Adams served as secretary of state under President James Madison. As secretary, Adams worked to acquire Florida and other territories for the United States. In the same post under President James Monroe, Adams was the person most responsible for the Monroe Doctrine.
In 1824, Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford ran for President. Jackson won the most electoral votes, followed by Adams. However, no one had a majority. Therefore, the House of Representatives had to choose a winner. With the support of Henry Clay, Adams was elected President, and he made Clay his secretary of state. Jackson’s supporters believed that Adams and Clay had made a secret deal. These supporters called it the “corrupt bargain.” Adams’s presidency never quite recovered from this controversy, and Jackson defeated Adams in the next election.
In 1830, at the age of 63, Adams was elected to the House of Representatives. This was a surprising development for a former President, but Adams believed that he should continue his public service. In the House, Adams fought against the spread of slavery. Representatives from the Southern states set up a “gag rule” to prevent any discussion of this issue. Adams fought this rule for eight years until it was repealed.
In 1841, Adams took part in an important legal case. He defended enslaved Africans who had taken over a ship named the Amistad that was transporting them. He argued their case before the Supreme Court—and won. The victory was considered a milestone in the struggle against slavery.
Adams was dedicated to public service until the end. In 1848, he suffered a stroke in the House during a debate related to the recent war with Mexico, which he had opposed. He died in the Capitol Building two days later
After reading the text answer this question Why do you think Adams fought so hard to repeal the gag rule against discussing slavery in the House of Representatives?
Adams fought so hard to repeal the gag rule against discussing slavery in the House of Representatives because he was dedicated to the cause of abolishing slavery. He believed in the principles of equality and justice, and saw the spread of slavery as contradicting those principles. He likely saw it as his duty to fight against the gag rule and to advocate for the abolition of slavery, using his position and influence in the House to try and bring about change.
make that were a kid would understand the answer
Adams fought so hard to repeal the gag rule because he really believed that slavery was wrong. He thought that everyone should be treated equally and that slavery went against that. The gag rule stopped people from talking about slavery in the House of Representatives, and Adams wanted to change that. He wanted to speak up and have discussions about slavery so that people could understand why it was wrong and work towards getting rid of it. He wanted to make a difference and fight for what he believed in.
make your answer short
Adams fought to repeal the gag rule because he strongly believed that slavery was wrong and wanted to speak up against it in the House of Representatives.
is this why you Why do you think Adams fought so hard to repeal the gag rule against discussing slavery in the House of Representatives?
Adams fought so hard to repeal the gag rule because he passionately believed that slavery was morally wrong and wanted to have open discussions about it in the House of Representatives.
Andrew Jackson was born in 1767 near the border of North and South Carolina. His father died before he was born, and his mother and brothers died when Jackson was 15. This was during the American Revolution. Jackson was too young to join the army, but fought the British anyway. However, he was captured and put to work as a servant. When he refused to shine the boots of a British officer, his face was slashed.
After the war, Jackson returned to North Carolina to study law. He then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to become a public prosecutor and quickly built up a law practice. He also developed his cotton plantation, The Hermitage. In 1891, he began a romance with a married woman, Rachel Robards. Although they eventually married, the scandal followed Jackson throughout his career. In fact, Jackson fought a duel with a man who was rude about his wife and killed him.
Jackson entered politics and eventually gained a seat in the U.S. Senate. However, he did not like Washington, D.C., so returned to Tennessee. There, he was elected major general of the Tennessee militia. In 1814, Jackson’s troops and their American Indian allies defeated the Creek nation in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Jackson then negotiated a treaty to end the war. This treaty required the American Indians, including his allies, to give up almost half of their land.
Jackson was made a United States major general. He went to New Orleans and fought the British there. The Battle of New Orleans in 1815 was a tremendous victory for Jackson. It sealed his place as a war hero and brought him great popularity.
In 1824, Jackson sought to replace James Monroe as President, but lost. In 1828, Jackson ran again and won. As President, Jackson fired many people and replaced them with members of his Democratic Party. Jackson believed in westward expansion. To achieve this goal, he pushed for the Indian Removal Act in 1830. By the end of his second term, 45,000 American Indians had been removed from their lands. Jackson also made many enemies, vetoing laws passed by Congress and using any means to get what he wanted. Newspaper cartoonists dubbed him “King Andrew I.”
However, his presidency is also known as the “Age of Jackson.” During this time, the common citizen began to feel more empowered because property requirements for voting were dropped in many states. Jackson, a self-made frontiersman, was very different from the polished, aristocratic founders of the previous generation.
In 1835, an unemployed house painter attempted to kill President Jackson. The President wrestled him to the ground and was not wounded. This was the first assassination attempt on a U.S. President. After his second term, in 1837, Jackson returned to Nashville, and died there in 1845.
reading the text answer this question about What were the characteristics of the Age of Jackson?