Born October 1735
Braintree, Massachusetts
Died July 4, 1826
Quincy, Massachusetts

President and vice president of the United States, diplomat, lawyer, writer

"People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity."
Portrait: John Adams. Reproduced by permission of AP/Wide World Photos.

John Adams was an enemy of British oppression who worked tirelessly for American independence. A man with a great mind, he wrote vivid diaries, letters, and essays; gave patriotic speeches; and negotiated effectively on behalf of his country. Although he could be a vain and stubborn politician, this passionate patriot was one of America's most important founding fathers.

Adams, one of three brothers, was born on his family's farm in Quincy (then known as Braintree), Massachusetts. His father, also named John, was a farmer and a church deacon who directed the affairs of his hometown for more than twenty years. Adams's mother, Susanna Boyleston Adams, came...