145 Fun Facts About John Adams That Will Fascinate

Meet John Adams, a key voice for American independence and the second president of the United States.

This friendly guide breaks his life into quick facts you can read in any order.

From schoolteacher to diplomat to president, Adams loved law, learning, and country, and his story still matters today.

Origins & Early Life

1. He was born on October 30, 1735 (Old Style October 19) in Braintree, Massachusetts, now part of Quincy.
2. His parents were John Adams Sr., a farmer and deacon, and Susanna Boylston Adams.
3. He grew up on a modest farm with apple orchards and beehives.
4. As a boy he liked to fish in the nearby Neponset River.
5. He described childhood as healthy but disciplined in a strict New England household.
6. He attended local dame schools before entering more formal study.
7. At 16 he entered Harvard College in 1751.
8. He graduated from Harvard in 1755, ranking near the middle of his class.
9. After graduation he taught school in Worcester to earn money.
10. He studied law in Worcester under attorney James Putnam.
11. He was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1758.
12. His early legal practice centered on property disputes and debt collection.
13. He married Abigail Smith on October 25, 1764, in Weymouth, Massachusetts.
14. He and Abigail eventually called their Quincy home “Peacefield” or the Old House.
15. He was a second cousin of Samuel Adams, another famous revolutionary.

Education & Law

16. He loved classical literature and read Latin and Greek authors for inspiration.
17. He wrote early essays on law, liberty, and history for the Boston press.
18. In 1765 he published “A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law” opposing arbitrary power.
19. He opposed the Stamp Act of 1765 as unjust taxation.
20. He served as a selectman in Braintree and took part in town meetings.
21. He earned a reputation for honesty and careful preparation as a lawyer.
22. In 1770 he agreed to defend the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre.
23. His defense secured acquittals for most defendants and reduced charges for the others.
24. He argued that even unpopular defendants deserve counsel under the rule of law.
25. The case boosted his standing as a principled advocate of justice.

Revolution & Independence

26. He served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774.
27. He returned as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1775.
28. In June 1775 he nominated George Washington to command the Continental Army.
29. He worked on wartime logistics and military appointments through the Board of War.
30. In 1776 he published “Thoughts on Government” urging separation of powers and bicameral legislatures.
31. He served on the Committee of Five to draft the Declaration of Independence.
32. He convinced Thomas Jefferson to write the first draft of the Declaration.
33. He delivered stirring speeches that helped secure the July 2, 1776 vote for independence.
34. He signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
35. He advocated for a navy to protect American commerce during the war.
36. He helped draft the Model Treaty to guide American foreign alliances.
37. He supported the creation of state constitutions built on checks and balances.
38. He urged the use of merit and experience in appointing officers.
39. He believed liberty required virtue and education among citizens.
40. He traveled frequently between Massachusetts and Philadelphia during the war years.
41. He endured personal sacrifice and long separations from his family for public service.
42. He co-authored the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution, a model for later charters.
43. That constitution introduced a strong independent judiciary and a bicameral legislature.
44. Its famous phrase “a government of laws, and not of men” reflected his core belief.
45. He saw independence as only the first step toward building durable institutions.

Diplomacy Abroad

46. In 1778 he sailed to France to seek military and financial support.
47. Rough Atlantic crossings left him seasick but determined to complete his mission.
48. He served on the joint peace commission with Benjamin Franklin and others.
49. In 1780 he went to the Netherlands to seek recognition and credit for the new nation.
50. In April 1782 the Dutch formally recognized the United States under his leadership.
51. He secured crucial Dutch loans that stabilized American finances.
52. He helped negotiate the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War.
53. The treaty recognized American independence and set boundaries favorable to the new republic.
54. He served as the first American minister to the Court of St. James in 1785.
55. His reception in Britain was polite but cool after years of war.
56. He pressed for fair treatment of American merchants in British ports.
57. He traveled widely in Europe, observing governments to inform his own ideas.
58. He wrote detailed letters home describing diplomatic challenges and court etiquette.
59. His experience hardened his belief in the need for a strong yet accountable executive.
60. He returned to Massachusetts in 1788 after a decade of service abroad.

Vice Presidency

61. He became the first U.S. Vice President in 1789 under George Washington.
62. He found the vice presidency’s duties limited and often ceremonial.
63. He presided over the Senate and took the role seriously as guardian of procedure.
64. He cast 29 tie-breaking votes in the Senate, a record of his era.
65. He argued early for formal titles for national offices, a suggestion that proved unpopular.
66. He supported the new federal government while avoiding factional extremes.
67. He worked to maintain Washington’s broad coalition in the early years.
68. He toured several states and met citizens to gauge the public mood.
69. He published a multivolume work titled “A Defence of the Constitutions” arguing for checks and balances.
70. After two terms as vice president, he ran for president in 1796.

Presidency & Policies

71. He won the 1796 election and became the second U.S. President.
72. The runner-up, Thomas Jefferson, became his vice president under the rules then in place.
73. He faced immediate tension with revolutionary France over seized American ships.
74. He sent a diplomatic mission to Paris in 1797 in hopes of peace.
75. The envoys reported demands for bribes in the scandal known as the XYZ Affair.
76. Public anger led Congress to expand the army and navy for defense.
77. In 1798 he signed the law creating the Department of the Navy.
78. He also signed the act reestablishing the United States Marine Corps in 1798.
79. The United States fought an undeclared naval war with France called the Quasi-War.
80. American frigates protected commerce and captured enemy privateers in the Caribbean.
81. Adams resisted calls for a formal declaration of war despite heated rhetoric.
82. He proclaimed national days of fasting and of thanksgiving during the crisis.
83. He signed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798 amid fears of foreign influence.
84. The Sedition Act punished certain attacks on the government, which provoked fierce debate.
85. Several newspaper editors were tried and jailed under the law in federal courts.
86. The controversy over those laws damaged his political standing.
87. He dismissed militant cabinet members who pushed for wider war.
88. He sent a second peace mission to France led by William Vans Murray.
89. The Convention of 1800 ended hostilities and normalized relations with France.
90. He approved new coastal fortifications to strengthen port defenses.
91. He directed a naval buildup that would benefit future administrations.
92. In 1799 he issued a proclamation mourning George Washington’s death and honoring his service.
93. He pardoned participants in Fries’s Rebellion after courts imposed death sentences.
94. He oversaw the relocation of the federal government from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. in 1800.
95. On November 1, 1800 he became the first president to live in the executive mansion.
96. He penned a short prayer for the house hoping wise and honest leaders would dwell there.
97. He signed the law establishing the Library of Congress in 1800.
98. Bitter party rivalry marked the election of 1800 between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.
99. He lost the presidency to Thomas Jefferson after a hard-fought campaign.
100. He left office in March 1801, closing a turbulent but consequential term.

Judiciary & Constitution

101. Near the end of his term Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 reorganizing federal courts.
102. He appointed numerous judges under the act in the final weeks of his presidency.
103. One of the undelivered commissions led to the landmark case Marbury v. Madison.
104. He appointed John Marshall as Chief Justice in 1801, shaping constitutional law for decades.
105. He believed independent courts were essential to liberty.
106. He argued that mixed government with separate branches best protected rights.
107. His Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 became the longest-lasting written constitution still in force.
108. That constitution provided for a bill of rights and an independent executive.
109. He supported peaceful transfers of power as a test of republican stability.
110. He warned that pure majoritarianism without checks could threaten minority rights.

Family & Personal Life

111. He and Abigail formed a famous partnership built on affection and mutual advice.
112. They exchanged over 1,100 surviving letters spanning courtship, war, and politics.
113. Abigail managed the farm and family finances during his long absences.
114. Their eldest son, John Quincy Adams, later became the sixth U.S. President.
115. Their daughter Abigail “Nabby” Adams married William Stephens Smith.
116. Their son Charles studied law but died in 1800 after years of ill health.
117. Their youngest son, Thomas Boylston Adams, practiced law and public service in Massachusetts.
118. A stillborn daughter named Elizabeth was mourned in 1777.
119. He never owned enslaved people and spoke against the institution.
120. He supported broad public education as vital to a free people.
121. He enjoyed reading history, philosophy, and poetry in the evenings.
122. He took long walks and worked in his gardens for exercise.
123. He stood about 170 cm tall (around 5 ft 7 in).
124. Friends praised his industry while noting his sometimes blunt manner.
125. He valued frugality and kept careful household accounts with Abigail.

Later Years & Legacy

126. After leaving office he retired to Peacefield in Quincy, Massachusetts.
127. He wrote essays, letters, and a partial autobiography during retirement.
128. He resumed correspondence with Thomas Jefferson in 1812 after years of political estrangement.
129. Their exchange explored philosophy, faith, history, and the meaning of the Revolution.
130. He lived to see his son John Quincy elected president in 1824.
131. He died on July 4, 1826, at age 90, saying reputedly that Jefferson still lived.
132. Jefferson had died earlier that same day in Virginia.
133. He is remembered as the “Atlas of Independence” for his early leadership.
134. His careful diplomacy kept the young republic out of a broader war with France.
135. His influence endures in the nation’s courts, civil service, and balanced constitution.

For Kids: Quick Comparisons

136. John Adams was the second U.S. President, coming right after George Washington.
137. He served one term as president and eight years as vice president.
138. He believed rules and fair trials should protect everyone, even people many disliked.
139. He helped write important papers that shaped how American government works.
140. He and Thomas Jefferson both died on the Fourth of July, which is Independence Day.

Pop Culture & Fun Extras

141. He appears as a central character in stage and screen works about the Revolution.
142. His letters with Abigail often appear in school plays and readings.
143. Historic reenactors in Quincy and Philadelphia commemorate his life each year.
144. Visitors can tour the family homes at the Adams National Historical Park in Massachusetts.
145. His legacy reminds students that strong opinions can mix with a commitment to law and peace.

Quick FAQ

Q: When did John Adams serve as president?
A: He served from 1797 to 1801.

Q: What is John Adams best known for?
A: He was a leading voice for independence, a skilled diplomat, and the second U.S. President.

Q: Did John Adams sign the U.S. Constitution?
A: No, he was serving as minister to Britain during the Constitutional Convention.

Q: Who was John Adams married to?
A: He married Abigail Smith Adams, a sharp partner whose letters with him are famous.

Q: Did John Adams own slaves?
A: No, he opposed slavery and never owned enslaved people.