John Quincy Adams

The American Presidents #6

by Robert V. Remini, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.

A vivid portrait of a man whose pre- and post-presidential careers overshadowed his presidency.

Chosen president by the House of Representatives after an inconclusive election against Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams often failed to mesh with the ethos of his era, pushing unsuccessfully for a strong, consolidated national government. Historian Robert V. Remini recounts how in the years before his presidency Adams was a shrewd, influential diplomat, and later, as a dynamic secretary of state under President James Monroe, he solidified many basic aspects of American foreign policy, including the Monroe Doctrine.

Undoubtedly his greatest triumph was the negotiation of the Transcontinental Treaty, through which Spain acknowledged Florida to be part of the United States. After his term in office, he earned the nickname "Old Man Eloquent" for his passionate antislavery speeches.

Genres: Biography, History, Presidents, Nonfiction, American History, Us Presidents, Politics

192 pages, Hardcover

First published August 20, 2002

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biography John Quincy Adams attempts to answer the question: how could a man who was a gifted intellectual, a conscientious moralist, a subtle and able ambassador, a great—perhaps our greatest—Secretary of State, and (in later years) an eloquent congressmen and a crusading attorney be ranked—at best—a distinctly mediocre president?

Remini suggests that his mother may be partially to blame. Harsh, formidable, and exacting, Abigail Adams insisted her children—particularly firstborn John Quincy—be studious, ambitious, morally upright and ethically above reproach. JQA took his mother seriously, and became all these things. He also became independent and capable, but he grew up isolated—and cold. To give you some idea why, here is an excerpt from a letter Abigail sent to John when he was eleven years old, with his father in France:

”Dear as you are to me, I had much rather you should have found your Grave in the ocean you have crossed, or any untimely death crop you in your infant years, rather than see you an immoral profligate or a Graceless child.”

Whenever JQA was appointed to fulfill a particular mission or perform a particular role—as ambassador to England, Prussia, or Russia, or as Monroe’s Secretary of State, for example—his conduct was exemplary, whether he was crafting the Treaty of Ghent to end the War of 1812 or refining the Monroe Doctrine. He could also distinguish himself when his role was more independent, more limited—as congressman or attorney—and he felt himself guided by an overriding moral purpose. It wa then that Old man Adams became the champion of free speech against the “gag rule” and the defender of The Amistad’s slave mutineers.

But when he became president, the tasks of establishing coalitions and compromising with the opposition were beyond him, as was the crafting of an exective vision which transcended his own pet projects, however worthy ( like the much derided national astronomical observatory). The presidency, paradoxically, left him more powerless: isolated, irrelevant. (In fairness, though, some of this wasn’t JQA’s fault. Angered because of their loss in 1824—a messy four-way election, in which Jackson won a plurality of electoral votes but lost in the House—the Jacksonian Democrats fought Adams at every turn, determined to make him a one term president.)

I’ll let JQA, writing shortly before his death, have the last word:

”With regard to what is called the wheel of Fortune, my career in life has been, with severe vicissitudes, on the whole highly auspicious.”

.

[robin friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Quincy Adams And American Nationalism

Robert Remini's brief study of John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) is part of the American Presidency Series edited by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. The series has the commendable aim of introducing the reader to each of the Presidents in a volume of short scope. The broader aim, I think, is to reawaken an appreciation of the history of our country and to stimulate reflection on the American experience. Thus, each volume tries to present a story of a life and also to explain briefly what is unique about each President and makes him worthy to be remembered.

Remini gives an excellent discussion of John Quincy Adams's service to the United States, both during his Presidency and before and after it. The aspect of JQA's public service that stands out, both in his Presidency and otherwise, is his commitment to American Nationalism. By this I mean a devotion to creating a strong, united nation for all the people to promote the public welfare. JQA worked diligently to advance the interests of the entire American people, as he saw these interests, rather than to be a tool of any faction or party or momentary passion. Much of the time, he succeeded.

As President, JQA advocated the creation of public works and improvements to link the country together. He was a strong supporter of education, scientific advancement, and learning. He wanted the Federal government to play an active role in supporting these ends and worked towards the creation of an American university. (After his Presidency he was a strong advocate for the creation of the Smithsonian Institution.)

Before he assumed the Presidency, Adams served as the Secretary of State under James Monroe. He worked for the goal of American Nationalism by expanding the boundaries of the United States through a skillful exercise of diplomacy until they extended to the Pacific Ocean. JQA also was instrumental in the formulation of the Monroe Doctrine.

Following his presidency. JQA served as a Congressman from Massachusetts. He distinguished himself in working for the anti-slavery cause and, specifically, by his tireless opposition to the "gag rule" which aimed to prevent critical discussion of slavery-related issues in the halls of Congress.

Remini presents his material in a way that focuses on this theme of JQA's public service and on its nationalistic aspirations . He also points out how and why JQA failed to realize many of his goals, particularly during his term as the sixth President (1825-1828) Adams was named President by the House of Representatives following a highly contested election. It was alleged that he struck a "corrupt bargain" with Henry Clay, who became Adams's Secretary of State. This "corrupt bargain" doomed the Adams Presidency and tarnished both Adams's and Clay's careers.

Adams was also highly opinionated and stuffy and gave the impression of aloofness. He was not a good politician and lacked a certain ability to compromise or to work cooperatively with others. At one point Remini writes (p. 110): "It is really impossible to think of any other president quite like John Quincy Adams. He seemed intent on destroying himself and his administration. By the same token, it is difficult to think of a president with greater personal integrity." JQA was defeated for a second term by Andrew Jackson in a bitterly fought campaign. Among other things, Jackson possessed abundant popular appeal and charisma, in sharp contrast to JQA's aloof, intellectual character.

While Adams's Presidency failed, his goals and ideals were good. They lived on and deserve studying and remembering.

Remini also gives a good summary of Adams's personal life, adopting some of the psychohistory of JQA's recent biographers. He points out the stresses that Adams endured from his famous father and mother and the pressures placed upon him and his brothers for high achievement. JQA also imposed these pressures and expectations, alas, on his own children. There is a good discussion of Adams's failed love affair as a young man --probably the one passion of his life -- and of his subsequent marriage to Louisa Johnson. Remini describes JQAs extensive intellectual interests, his tendencies to anger and to depression and he links these traits in a sensible way to the failings of Adams's Presidency.

This is an excellent study of JQA which captures in short compass the essence and character of his contribution to the United States. Readers who want to learn more about JQA may choose from a growing number of books, including Fred Kaplan's "John Quincy Adams: American Visionary" and the earlier two volume history by Samuel Flagg Bemis: "John Quincy Adams and the Foundations of American Foreign Policy" (1949) and "John Quincy Adams and the Union" (1956). Selections from JQA's famous diary are included in a two-volume collection from the Library of America.

Robin Friedman

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the last 6 years I’ve read a presidential biography every January, based off a list The Washington Post published of the best bios for each president.
I was excited to get to JQA’s biography because he was the first non-founder president and because I loved the biography about his father (our 2nd president).
The American Presidents series takes presidential biographies and pares them down for the non-historian reader, so this was significantly shorter & less primary document based than what I usually read, which has both pros & cons.
That said, it was interesting to learn about this president that is known for being an amazing Statesman (pre-presidency) and an impactful Congressman (post-presidency) but not a strong president.
He refused the play the political game and saw himself as less important than democracy & the country, which I think is very commendable, but the political game was changing in America in the early 1800s, and while he refused to play, his opponents embraced the change.
The contrast between JQA & Andrew Jackson who followed him is *stark* and I am looking forward to his bio in 2025!

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography of John Quincy Adams, referred to as JQA throughout much of the book, is quite a treat. It astonishes me that so much information can be packed into such a short book (155 pages of text). Still, from my perspective, this is a satisfying book.

John Quincy Adams was truly an exceptional character to study. As a young person, he accompanied his father, John Adams, to Europe to help him in his diplomatic duties. JQA learned an immense amount, developed many useful skills (including learning different languages), and began his career of public service at a very young age.

Born in 1767, he lives a long and full life, dying in 1848. His coffin contained language was written by Daniel Webster (whom Adams detested) (Page 155): "A citizen of the United States, in the Capitol of Washington, February 23, 1848, Having served his country for half a century, And enjoyed its highest honors."

A sampling of some of his accomplishments: His service abroad while in his teens, going to Russia apart from his father to serve as an assistant to the American ambassador there (the ambassador did not speak French, and JQA's command of that language was valuable in the Russian court); His first tour of Congress was controversial as his independence led both parties to sometimes get irritated with him; His time as Secretary of State, during which he developed the Monroe Doctrine; His controversial election as President and the rough politics of his one term; his return to the House of Representatives as a cantankerous and independent Representative. His return to Congress after serving as President is extraordinary, not repeated afterwards by any former President. In his term, old as he was, he served as a stalwart against slavery, and near the end of his life (as viewers of the movie "Amistad" know) he argued before the Supreme Court of the miscarriage of justice against the enslaved Africans who had seized control of the slave ship.

All in all, a quick read and a pretty satisfying volume.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This rather slight volume on John Quincy Adams is part of “The American Presidents” series. As part of a series that is designed to capture high and low points and major events, it’s not surprising that it lacks some of the detail and analysis offered by other, more comprehensive biographies.

Having read Nagel’s and Cooper’s biographies of JQA, I found Remini’s treatment of this complex man to be both simplistic and rather judgmental. Remini is clearly greatly informed by Nagel’s critical view of JQA as a man severely damaged by his famous, meddling parents. Perhaps it’s not altogether surprising that a book on JQA written by the author of the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson would have a Jacksonian slant. Remini is willing to grant the importance of some of Adam’s accomplishments as Secretary of State and, to a lesser degree, his rebirth as a congressman after his disastrous Presidency. However, the book is light on analyzing Adams’ motivations for some of his most controversial actions.

Remini also takes a few liberties to enhance the narrative from time to time. For example, he places Abigail and young JQA as being present at the Battle of Bunker Hill when in fact they witnessed the battle from another hill more than ten miles across the bay. Clearly, JQA isn’t as colorful a character as Old Hickory and Remini appears to have tried a little too hard to find ways to add a bit of spice to Adams’ life.

All in all, Remini offers the essentials and therefore accomplishes what the American Presidents series sets out to do. However, readers need to be aware that they won’t really know John Quincy Adams very well if this is the only exposure they get to his life and accomplishments.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Library Biography #33

Obviously this book was written to give a brief glimpse into who John Quincy Adams was and it really does succeed in doing so.

However, the author was not impartial. In fact, I found him to be quite a misogynist - He apparently had some deep seeded beef with Abigail Adams's parenting method. Remini also was not all that fond of John Q. Adams either. It was confusing to the reader to find out that JQA was quite a diplomat but then in the following chapters have him referred to as an idiot.

I could have done without Remini's comments and would have appreciated a more honest portrait. I also felt that the book really neglected to capture JQA's stances or make him seem human... it really was just a summary of the political turmoil he was involved in.

If anything, this book has enticed me to find another biography on John Quincy Adams.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a variety of reasons, I have always been very interested in John Quincy Adams.  He is is precisely the sort of presidents that many contemporary liberals wish they had, and also someone who was lamentably far better at everything (except being a husband and father) than he was as a president of the United States.  His interest in public service and the fact that he spent almost all of his life in the employment of the government as a diplomat and politician gave him a rather high view of what government could do for others that is not something I tend to share.  He was, moreover, a rather stiff and formal person who was nonetheless eloquent when speaking out against the slave power against the Gag Rule and in the Armistad case, both high points of his post-presidential career.  His work as a diplomat on behalf of the United States and as Monroe's Secretary of State was nothing less than superb, and he was certainly the least corrupt political figure of his time, so there is a great deal to appreciate about him regardless of the distance between his political views and my own [1].

In this short book of less than 200 pages, the author continues his tour through antebellum American political history by writing a short and excellent biography on the life and career of John Quincy Adams.  The book takes a chronological approach to its subject and points out the author's approval of most aspects of the author's life and political service, although not his political savvy or his demanding ways as a father.  Remini begins with a discussion of Adams' privileged but demanding childhood (1) and then looks at the way he found a career as a lawyer (a profession he hated) before moving into electoral politics (2).  After that he examines the move JQA made from Federalist to Democratic-Republican (3) and his influential time as an immensely successful Secretary of State (4).  The election of 1824 (5) precedes four chapters that deal with his unsuccessful presidency, a look at his misguided principles for highly wonky policies that were out of step with the larger American population (and in many cases still are nearly two centuries later) (6), Adams' efforts at being fair-minded with regards to Indian Removal (7), his diplomatic successes and failures (8), and the controversy over the supposed "tariff of abominations" that brought South Carolina to national attention (9).  A discussion of the immensely bitter and nasty campaign of 1828, the nastiest campaign until at least 2016 (10) precedes Adams' successful time as a US Representative for his home district in Massachusetts (11) and his victorious career as an advocate for freedom (12) before his death in 1848.

What this book succeeds at particularly well is making John Quincy Adams into a human figure rather than a caricature, which is all too easy to imagine happening in either his own time or our own.  Resistant to the bossiness of his harpy of a mother (the famous Abigail Adams), he proved to be just as demanding and harsh a father to his own children and an immensely awkward husband to his wife, a woman who shrewdly saw that despite his flaws he was certainly a worthwhile catch.  He was widely read but considered himself to lack intellectual depth, and he was deeply shaped by being a bookish intellectual with a lifetime of public service and very little experience in the private sector.  He represents the sort of intellect that is highly praised by scholars but not particularly skilled when it comes to winning elections or dealing with other people in a gracious and warm fashion.  For all of his successes, this book has a great deal of tragedy running through it, as one realizes that he could have been of so much more use to his country and to his family if he had a bit more sense and a bit less of that brutal combination of intellectual arrogance and withering self-criticism.  Such is the life, though.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

[Michael Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Remini's John Quincy Adams is another exceptional volume of the American Presidents book series. Remini, whose three-volume biography of Andrew Jackson is perhaps the definitive work on the subject and who has also written lengthy biographies of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Martin Van Buren--understands the political culture of America the 1820s extremely well. So well, in fact, that I was afraid that the book would be all context and nothing specific about Adams. But I was wrong.

John Quincy Adams is a very difficult topic for someone writing specifically about his presidency, since being president was the one thing in Adam's political career that he didn't do well. Before becoming President, he was the most important diplomat in American history. He served as ambassador to the Netherlands when he was 26 years old. He was then appointed ambassador to Portugal, Russia, and England before becoming James Monroe's Secretary of State in 1817. After leaving the presidency, he served with distinction in the House of Representatives for 18 years.

As a president, though, he pretty much sucked. Or, at least, he was as bad a fit for the times he lived in as we can imagine. His election in 1824 split the dominant Republican Party into two factions--Democratic Republicans and National Republicans--and he became strongly identified with the latter. But he had no interest in being part of a political party, and he refused to play partisan games. He did not use the patronage system to political advantage, did not court members of his own faction, sided with the opposition as much as he sided with his own party, never built collations, and, as a consequence, offended everyone, got nothing done, and got buried in the next election by a vastly inferior leader who took party politics very, very seriously.

But he was a good man, and this is what Remini manages to keep in the forefront even as he describes the train wreck of his presidency. He had integrity. And he had a genuine vision for America that included the government doing good things to make people's lives better. In some eras, that might have been enough. But almost everything he did as president went against the zeitgeist known as Andrew Jackson.

[Joshua Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American Presidents series is a mixed bag but this is one of the better ones. Robert Remini is a excellent writer and he managed to pack more info into 180 pages then many biographers do in 500. I am especially thankful that time is taken to flesh out Adams very eventful life before the presidency. As many of these volumes tend to rush through the individuals early life.

[Andrew Canfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Remini is an excellent writer of U.S. history (his three-part biography of Andrew Jackson is one of my favorite of all time), and he writes fluently in this summary of John Quincy Adams's life.

This biography of John Quincy Adams was one I read back-to-back with Fred Kaplan's, and I must say the latter was much better. Kaplan's was infinitely more detailed, although considering how great of a biographer Remini is, his brevity in this venture was largely owing to the book's format (as part of the American Presidents Series, this biography was intended to be an abridged version of JQA's career, so that should not be held against it).

He seemed much tougher on JQA's decisions and persona than Kaplan was, and I suspect this might owe to his partiality for histories on Andrew Jackson. Remini hits the high (and low) points in JQA's life, touching on something many people tend to forget about earlier presidents: their money struggles when it comes to living on the budget of a public functionary, particularly one (like JQA) who was routinely stationed overseas as a diplomat before becoming Commander-in-Chief. It is a solid book if you are in search of a crash course on JQA's career.

-Andrew Canfield Shreveport, La.

[Lindsey Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly written and accessible, this is a great biography of a president typically rated poorly by history, overshadowed by his trailblazing predecessors and the colorful characters that followed. It is moderately detailed; those wanting an in-depth portrait should look elsewhere, but it does a solid job of characterizing John Quincy Adams both as a politician and as a person. My only small disappointment was that I was particularly interested in his post-presidential career in Congress, and there wasn't quite enough content there for me.

Something I did not know? JQA was chairman of the committee that would eventually found the Smithsonian Institute. He was not directly involved with its creation, but he began the pursuit of a worthy cause for James Smithson's money.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a short biography this wasn't too bad but it wasn't so great either. The author clearly can't stand John & Abigail Adams (John Quincy's parents) and didn't understand the background that they came from or the time they lived in. He did manage to point out some positive things about John Quincy although you do tend to leave the biography feeling like John Quincy was a person you'd rather not know - and maybe that's true, but I'd have to do other research to determine that rather than take the author's view for granted.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great text that highlights (for me) a predisent I knew absolutely nothing about. I learned we share a birth date; he woke up at 4 am to walk 8 miles and read the Bible in various languages for an hour; seemed to be estranged from his mom (Abigail); and how his pedigree and brillance placed him in a leadership position for which he never could have acheived because he wasnt a "politician". He eviscerated the southern leadership to advocate for the end slavery and he died at work.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book! JQA had one of the best resumes for president but one of the worst dispositions for president. Outstanding diplomat and Congressman; ineffective President.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

JQA is one of my favorite post-presidents.

I have largely been disappointed by this biography series. Most of them are so short that they struggle to accomplish anything other than a 30,000 foot view of the persons life. This one is by far the best in the series I have seen. It not only provides depth but also provides a real picture of who Quincy was as a person.

JQA was born with incredibly high expectations to be a man who could change nations. His mother was so overbearing he refused to attend her funeral when she died. Her personality drove his siblings into alcoholism and failure, only Quincy was able to find some success. He went overseas with his father in his teenage years and was on his own in Russia before he was 18. The result made Quincy brilliant, gifted in diplomacy, and emotionally stunted.

His presidency was largely disappointing. He accomplished little and was opposed from the beginning because of the contested election that he appeared to only win because of a backroom deal with Henry Clay. He made matters worse by making all his decisions based on what he believed was right and proper even when it would hurt him politically. It was admirable but made his presidency ineffective. His ambitions would have radically helped our country, even small things like wanting a uniform system of measurement (like the metric system). But he never had the political capital needed to bring them about.

His pre and post-presidency are some of the most successful of any president. He was arguably our best secretary of state. He formulated the Monroe doctrine, negotiated for Florida, and helped negotiate for a lasting peace with Britain. His post-presidency was spent fighting slavery. He was elected to congress and tirelessly fought against the gag-rule, which banned even trying to debate slavery. He argued in front of the supreme court in the Amistad case, which was a monumental win for abolition.

JQA has a lot of similarities to Jimmy Carter. Both had incredibly successful careers post-presidency and both had their presidencies flounder because of their insistence on principles over politics.

I can't help but love Quincy. To me, he feels like the last of the founding fathers. He was born in the wrong generation and has only recently been appreciated. I loved this biography. The author is an Andrew Jackson scholar, which at times lead to being to pro-jackson for my taste. Overall, this is a small biography that does a great job honoring an overlooked president.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Quincy Adams is the sixth book in The American Presidents series – a biographical series chronicling the Presidents of the United States. Robert V. Remini wrote this particular instalment and edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

John Quincy Adams was an American political leader who served as the sixth President of the United States from 1825–1829. He served as the eighth United States Secretary of State immediately before becoming president. During his long diplomatic and political career, he also served as an ambassador, United States Senator, and member of the United States House of Representatives. He was the eldest son of John Adams, who served as president from 1797–1801.

John and Abigail Adams' son was arguably the most brilliant man ever to occupy the White House. He was also probably the least temperamentally fit to do so. Nevertheless, as this straightforward biography reminds the reader, John Quincy Adams led one of the longest, most illustrious and most consequential public careers in the nation's history.

Remini writes an admiring portrait of an extraordinary man. Depicting Adams as a deficient husband and father and disputably holding his famous parents largely responsible for the torments in all their children's lives. Remini concentrates on Adams' fifty-year public career, much of it spent abroad. According to him, he is surely justified in holding Adams out as the nation's greatest secretary of state, largely responsible for what we know as the Monroe Doctrine. Although Adams as president was out of touch with most of his fellow citizens, it is likely that no one could have succeeded in the White House given the political confusion of those years.

Ironically, it was Adams's post-presidential years that he was that yielded some of his greatest triumphs – he was one of two ex-presidents to return to Congress. He laid the basis for the Free Soil movement that eventually helped defeat slavery, protected the bequest that gave us the Smithsonian Institution and defended the Amistad slaves.

All in all, John Quincy Adams is a wonderfully written biography of the sixth president and it was a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series of presidential biographies, which I plan to read in the very near future.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book since I've read several longer biographies of JQA and was ready for a concise retelling of his life just to wrap everything up. However, I eventually had to put this book down and return it to the library without finishing it because I found that Remini cut far too many corners in Adams' life, simplifying what was a very complex political career, and also that he seemed hell-bent on painting both Abigail Adams and Louisa Catherine Adams in the worst lights. Seriously I don't think there was even one positive thing that Remini said about either of them and I found that he deliberately twisted events to make Abigail in particular seem like an overly controlling and overbearing woman. While it is true that Abigail Adams had extremely high (perhaps impossible) standards for her children, particularly when it came to their education, I found that Remini often failed to mention that John Adams worked in tandem with Abigail and could also be overbearing, particularly towards JQA. It just seemed so blatantly biased and I don't think that including John Adams' own expectations towards his son would have made the book much longer than it is now so I don't see why Remini wouldn't include it. Then I did some more reading about Remini himself and I had a hard time stomaching some of his reverence for Andrew Jackson. In the end I felt that it wasn't worth my time to keep reading this book and it would be better to devote my reading time to other biographers who may have a more nuanced view of the presidents and their relationships with others and with their nation (for example, Annette Gordon-Reed and her excellent book, The Hemingses of Monticello).

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book, only 192 pages, but for whatever reason it took me far to long to finish it and I don't know why. I say that because every time that I picked it up I really enjoyed the writing and found President John Quincy Adams life so very interesting.
Born the son of Funding Father John Adams, JQA was raised in a very strict house by his mother Abigail (father John was away a lot). He reached adolescence at a convenient time for him, his family and the country as he joined his father on his diplomatic trip to France and Europe. He learned so much that he himself was made a US diplomat at a very young and and did quite well in that role. When his time in Europe was up he returned home, became a lawyer, got into National politics and as they say, the rest is history...
Remini does a great job of synthesizing and condensing JQA's life and the events and people that shaped it. His prose are so well written that it seemed to me at times I was having a conversation with him instead of reading the words he had chose to write about Adams.
The best thing I can say about this is that it makes me hungry for more about our 6th president. To learn more about his domineering mother, his somewhat loveless marriage, his duties, his wants and his hates...as he hates a few others like something out of the old testament.
Again, I have no idea as to why it took so long to get through this little powerhouse, but it was so well worth it.
Highly recommended for US history buffs, those who are interested in the fight for Civil Rights and American presidents. A four star for sure.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am finished! This is the 42nd book in the series I have read. Obviously I took a convoluted path, starting with Rutherford B.Hayes and ending with John Quincy Adams. The reason I started with Rutherford B. Hayes was that I happened to see the book on the library shelf and realized I knew nothing about Rutherford B. Hayes except that he had been a U.S. President sometime during reconstruction. Similarly, I knew next to nothing about John Quincy Adams when I started this book.

I’m not sure that I know much more about Adams now than I did when I started the book. Not much seems to have stuck in my brain. The one fact that I always recall about Adams is one that wasn’t mentioned in the book. Adams regularly ranks number one in presidential I.Q.

This fact doesn’t seem to have impressed Remini very much. Remini thinks Adams was a below average president. Myself, I usually check the Wikipedia article on the rankings of the U.S. presidents to confirm or disconfirm statements such as this. Wikipedia puts Adams somewhere in the middle of the pack. Most of the 25 surveys of historians put Adams in the second quartile of presidents, with only three surveys putting him in the third quartile.

Despite Adams' supposed inadequacies as a leader and politician, Remini acknowledges that "It is difficult to think of a leader with greater personal integrity." Remini's biggest beef with Adams is that Adams refused to remove underlings merely for supporting politicians other than Adams. "What idiocy!" Remini exclaims. I don’t know. I personally think this is an admirable trait.

I did not know that Adams had a long and distinguished career in Congress *after* his term as president. I especially admire his antislavery stance. He supported the controversial Wilmot Proviso, and successfully defended the captured prisoners of the Amistad before the Supreme Court when they killed their captors. For this he deserves our admiration.

[Rick Zinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love these series of books, I have 12 so far. They are great little biographies of the Presidents, the books are about 160 pages but you can really as much as a 800 page biography. You learn a lot of about background. The chapters on the election is always fascinating and you get glimpses of how the process has changed.

Whether it was one or two term President, the chapters of the Presidency are detailed and talk about a lot of issues that seemed important at the time but didn’t have a last historical impact. You meet all sorts of people who maybe aren’t always remembered.

The series is a formula, every book has been readable, and easy to understand. With some Presidents I feel like it is a good set up to make me want to read more, sometimes I get all need for the one book. I really love this series.

John Quincy Adams is maybe one of the more interesting persons to be President. The young nation is feeling its way in the world. The politics of times are fascinating, multiple political parties that come and go. Larger than life personalities, epic Congressional debates over tariffs. It’s just really interesting in a time that is not studied a lot. Great American history !

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a little brown terrier named Quincy for, you guessed it, John Quincy Adams. Because it’s funny to name your dogs after presidents (the other dog is named Ike). But I also knew next to nothing about John Quincy Adams (or JQA as Remini refers to him in the book), just some standard information (Adams dynasty, Amistad). Also, he looked like he sucked on a lemon in his portraits. This probably wasn’t far off. Remini does a remarkable job of bringing JQA to life in just a few short pages. JQA was fascinating (or at least Remini makes sure you think he’s fascinating). He was a star diplomat, friend of Tsar Alexander, a pretty awful father and husband. A hater of Andrew Jackson (who in retrospect deserved it, but not for the reasons JQA hated him; read the book). Abigail Adams was the most nagging mother ever too; JQA didn’t even attend her funeral (he was busy with some government business, and also it was more difficult to get around then, but still). In old age, he fought against slavery, but also was a grumpy old man.

[Vicki Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the American President series when looking for a biography of Benjamin Harrison. It was a quick read overview of his life and just what I was looking for. Reading this edition on John Quincy Adams, however, I can’t help but think he deserves a longer, more detailed biography. A book this short can’t do Justice to a man who was a diplomat, Secretary of State, President and 17-year member of Congress. The election of 1824 alone merits a book by itself.

I also have to wonder what the author had against Abigail Adams. He lets no opportunity go by to criticize her and her parenting. I appreciate some critical thinking about JQA and his life, but this was overkill.

If you’re looking for a short read on John Quincy Adams, this book will due the job. But if you’re reading a biography about him because you really care to learn about him, look elsewhere.

[Thomas Funke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read, the shortest of the presidential biographies I've read so far (150 pages... Jefferson has multiple volumes).

Id consider this a summary of his life and does not go into gory detail with long quotes from letters written/received, press clippings, speeches, etc.

It also helps that much of JQAs early life was covered in his father's biography and to a certain extend Madison's & Monroe's.

I may seek out the biography written by Bemis at a future date.

Oh, and if you think the press is biased & mud slinging is at an all time high, you will be surprised at how much worse it was when JQA ran for president.

[Gary Schantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book very much especially in learning about a president that had a long career in Congress after losing an election for a second term.

One who fought for the end of slavery despite being subjected to a trial for violating the Gag Rule against the mere mention of slavery in any congressional debates.

One who argued a famous civil rights case before the SCOTUS and managed to gain freedom for the slaves of the Amistad despite the fact that Africans had no rights as citizens.

Instead of being remembered for being a failure as a one-term president, JQA should be remembered as one of the first abolitionists in American history.

[Daniel Groth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although John Quincy Adams is not considered one of the most popular Presidents. I found this book to be quite interesting. John Quincy Adams had quite a tragic life. He never married what the book calls "his one and only true love" but he does marry Louisa. They had 4 children 3 sons and 1 daughter. Unfortunately their daughter dies in infancy and they lose 2 of their sons one to suicide and one to alcoholism. I am planning to read all books in this series and am reading them in order of when they were President. That being said since John Quincy Adams was our 6th President this is the 6th book I have read on the series and so far is my favorite one.

[Billhotto · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Quincy was the finest diplomat and Secretary of State in American history. He had a distinguished career in Congress after leaving the White House. He had an expansive vision for the development of the United States in which education and science would lead the way to free and prosperity.
Unfortunately, his cold and austere personality, his lack of PR sense or political instincts led to complete failure in his single term.
He also struggled in his family life. Two of his sons succumbed to drink. This was the Adams' curse. Three generations of Adams produced three sons with only one achieving anything, But those three changed the course of history.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

JQA was a man of high principles born into one of the great families of the the early republic (Federalist Era). He was secretary of state, arguably the greatest one, a diplomat, the president and eventually one of the most capable of the abolitionists in the US Congress. His personal pain came, perhaps, from his authoritarian mother. He neglected his own family and blamed himself for the early deaths of 2 of his 3 sons. The writing in this book is clear and Remini makes a strong case for the greatness of our 6th president but isn't shy about pointing out his foibles.

[Emkash · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief yet comprehensive biography of JQA. Remini does a good job of keeping it brief while touching on a little bit of all the essential elements of JQA’s life. It’s paced very well and chocked full of great information about his life and the people surrounding him, with a colorful context of the political schemes at the time. There is interesting commentary (in typical Remini fashion) but it enhances the book and gives it a conversation-like read.

[Tbuikema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remini’s bio is a good one, for what it sets out to do, providing a concise overview of John Quincy Adams’ life, achievements, and motivations. I’m sure the longer bios by other authors provide more depth and understanding, and it’s possible that Remini’s leaves the reader with less room for analysis and judgment, but this compact telling of JQA’s life gave me just what I wanted: a good basis from which to further appreciate Adam’s contribution to our nascent nation.

[William J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting short biography about a man well qualified to be President who failed to be the Executive many expected. He went on to career in the House of Representatives after the Presidency, the only President to do so and died in the House. Many personal quirks kept him from being a successful President. A good read all the same.