John Quincy Adams was the son of a former president, thus making his family America’s first political dynasty. Other families would follow with presidents who were related—The Harrisons (the latter a grandson), the Roosevelts (cousins), and the Bushes (the latter a son). The Kennedys are arguably an American dynasty as well, considering the vast number that served in elected and appointed posts the federal level, though only John was the only Kennedy to reach the highest office.
Americans do not know a lot about JQA, born in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1767 to John and Abagail. Pre-presidency he served as Secretary of State under President James Monroe. He was the author of the Monroe Doctrine, which declared the U.S. intention to resist European intervention in Latin America. In 1824 Adams won a divisive and contested election, eventually being chosen by the House of Representatives, a first at that time, since none of the four candidates had a majority of the electoral votes. Adams focused on national development and internal improvements, such as road and canal building, though Congress thwarted many of these forward-thinking plans. Florida was acquired during his tenure under the Adams-Onis treaty.
Adams is often better known for his post-presidency achievements. He went on to win a seat in the U.S. House, the only U.S. president to go on to serve in the legislative branch after office. There he became a fierce abolitionist after years of ambiguity on the issue. Adams successfully argued the case of and gained freedom for the so-called Amistad Africans, whose case was made popular by the Steven Spielberg movie Amistad in 1997. Anthony Hopkins was nominated for an academy award for his portrayal of JQA in the film. Adams had a stroke in the House chamber and died two days later in February 1848.
