John Quincy Adams

A vivid portrait of a man whose pre- and post-presidential careers overshadowed his presidency.
Chosen 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.
Robert V. Remini is Professor Emeritus of History and the Humanities at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Called the foremost Jacksonian scholar of our time by "The New York Times, "he is the recipient of a National Book Award. His most recent book is "Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars. "
Series editor Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. is arguably the preeminent historian of our time. For more than half a century, he has been a cornerstone figure in the intellectual life of the nation and a fixture on the political scene. He served as a special assistant to John F. Kennedy; won two Pulitzer Prizes for "The Age of Jackson" and "A Thousand Days"; and in 1998 received the National Humanities Medal. He published the first volume of his autobiography, "A Life in the Twentieth Century," in 2000.
Noted presidential scholar Remini offers a fascinating portrait of a brilliant and complex man, and of a truly influential American life. Heavy were the burdens of John Quincy Adams' upbringing. Son of the forbidding John Adams and the domineering Abigail, puritanical New Englanders both, he was driven from the earliest age to a life of faith, observance, and public distinction--a life that was considered to be his birthright, and his obligation. While his natural tendencies were toward a contemplative life filled with art and literature, his path was pre-destined--the law, and then public service. It is no wonder that later, as a grown man, accomplished and admired, he was spoken of as cold and austere, even misanthropic.
Adams' career suffered little from his demeanor. A learned and well-traveled intellectual as well as a shrewd negotiator, Adams rose through the diplomatic ranks, eventually serving as a dynamic and influential secretary of state under President James Monroe. In this role, he helped solidify many basic cornerstones of American foreign policy, including the Monroe Doctrine. The greatest triumph of this period was undoubtedly his negotiation of the Transcontinental Treaty, through which Spain acknowledged Florida to be a part of the United States.
Eventually, Adams arrived in the White House, chosen by the House of Representatives after an inconclusive election against Andrew Jackson. His administration, however, had less of a long-term impact than much of Adams pre- and post-presidential endeavors. He often failed to mesh with the ethos of his times, pushing unsuccessfully, for example, for a strong, consolidated national government. After leaving office, Adams served nine consecutive terms in the House, earning the nickname "Old Man Eloquent" for his passionate anti-slavery oratory.
"Capable and thoughtful . . . Does Adams justice and well serves to acquaint readers with a neglected leader."--"Kirkus Reviews"
"A dedicated expansionist and defender of human rights, John Quincy Adams was the first President to advance a wide-ranging program of national development by which the United States could ultimately achieve world power and increase the happiness and prosperity of the American people. It is the responsibility of government, he insisted, to improve the conditions of life for those who are subject to its authority; otherwise government can never accomplish its lawful ends. This bold assertion of what the government could and should do always fascinated me, particularly when so many citizens at the time feared a strong, activist government. Although his presidency failed to fulfill his hopes and goals, he set a standard by which all succeeding administrations can be and, I think, should be judged."--Robert V. Remini on John Quincy Adams
"Capable and thoughtful . . . Does Adams justice and well serves to acquaint readers with a neglected leader."--"Kirkus Reviews"
"The latest gem in Holt's American Presidents series is written by a widely acclaimed specialist in early-nineteenth-century American history and the author of such well-received biographies as "Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union." His judicious, eloquent survey of the sixth president's life and career intends not to proffer new and explosive ideas but to fashion recent scholarship into a highly readable overview for the general reader. John Quincy was the son, of course, of the second president, and he benefited from his father's political and diplomatic career, which exposed him to the wider world beyond his native Massachusetts. (But John Quincy could never live up to the unrealistic standards imposed by his controlling mother, Abigail.) Mature for his age, young John Quincy entered into the diplomatic corps, and eventually President Monroe appointed him secretary of state, the greatest figure to occupy that office, so Remini avers. As president, though, John Quincy was a disaster. He was unable to develop political adroitness, always 'exud ing] the air of a scholar, not a leader.' Nonetheless, Remini concludes that despite John Quincy's lack of success as president, 'everything else in his public life added distinction to America's] illustrious history.'"--Brad Hooper, "Booklist" (starred review) "Remini, the author of