I.

Introduction

John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States (1825-1829), who devoted his life and his great ability to serving the people of the United States. Of the 81 years he lived, 50 were spent in public office. His service ended only with his death at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Adams’s career of public service was one of the most varied and distinguished in American history. He served his nation as a diplomat, senator, secretary of state, president, and, for the last 17 years of his life, member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The measures he took in these high offices profoundly assisted the growth and development of the United States. The expansion of U.S. borders westward and southward, the acquisition of Florida, and the formulation of the Monroe Doctrine all were due, at least in part, to the efforts of John Quincy Adams.