John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States and the eldest son of the second president, John Adams. At the age of twenty, Adams began his career as a diplomat and spent many years serving in Europe. After President James Monroe took office in 1817, Adams was appointed Secretary of State, a position he held for eight years. During this time, he helped draft the Monroe Doctrine, resolved numerous disputes with Britain, and secured Florida from Spain. In 1825, John Quincy Adams was elected president. After leaving office in 1829, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served until his death.

Adams was a strict Puritan in both morals and lifestyle. He graduated from Harvard University, studied law, and worked as a lawyer and professor. He later became a career diplomat, serving in more than twenty European countries, and was elected to the U.S. Senate. During his presidency, he pushed Congress to pass ambitious plans for national infrastructure development, including the construction of major highways and canal networks. He placed great emphasis on education and secured congressional approval for joint federal and state investment in a number of low-tuition universities, laying the foundation for America’s public university system. Prior to this, higher education in the United States had been almost entirely private or church-run.

Advancing the Vision of a “Continental Empire”

America’s Founding Fathers had long envisioned the creation of a U.S. “continental empire.” Adams inherited and advanced this expansionist vision. Through negotiations with Spain and the signing of the Transcontinental Treaty, he helped extend U.S. territory southward to encompass all of Florida and westward to the Pacific coast. His contributions were pivotal to the early construction of America’s continental reach.

From President to Congressman — Dying in Service

After leaving the presidency and returning home, Adams ran for the House of Representatives two years later and won, returning to work in Congress—an unprecedented path among U.S. presidents. He was already 63 years old at the time and went on to win reelection repeatedly, serving a total of 18 years in the House. The distance between Boston and Washington, D.C., is about 800 kilometers. In that era, travel required horseback or carriage journeys; even at 100 kilometers a day, each trip took about eight days. For a man in his sixties and seventies, this was an immense physical burden.

Throughout his congressional career, Adams steadfastly upheld the founding principles of the United States, defending democracy, justice, and humanitarian ideals with unwavering dedication. On February 21, 1848, during a session of Congress, the 80-year-old Adams rose to respond to a question from the Speaker of the House. He suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and collapsed at his seat. Two days later, he died, having quite literally given his life in service.

According to his wishes, his body was returned to his hometown and buried alongside his parents and wife in the basement of a church originally funded by his father, John Adams. Today, the church serves as a community center, hosting commemorative gatherings, and is also a popular venue for weddings among local residents.