How often in history do we dwell on the visible "great" people and overlook the even greater unknowns? One such American who should rank with our greatest, has been virtually forgotten to history, except for his rather stormy 4 year presidency. Even then we fail to give honor to John Quincy Adams. (And they even get his name wrong. John's middle name is pronounced with a 'z' rather than a soft 'c'. John Quinzy Adams.)
         So why am I calling this failed President one of America's greatest figures? Let's look.

John Q. as a young man

In 1778, at the age of 12 he accompanied his father, John Adams, to France. While there he learned French and the next year the next year made a second trip. He accompanied the American Minister to Russia to St. Petersburg, now 14, as a translator. A year later he traveled alone from St. Petersburg back to his father in Holland, visiting the courts of Sweden, Denmark, Prussia, and northern France. He was getting ready for his later role as an ambassador, at which he excelled. While doing all this he learned Latin. 

               In 1794, now the ripe old age of 27, George Washington appointed him ambassador to the Netherlands, and then to Portugal. When his father became President in 1797, John Q. was appointed ambassador to Prussia,where he negotiated a treaty of commerce and friendship. While there he learned German. This was all preparation for his real triumphs later. During this time, incidentally, he is a professor of rhetoric and oratory at Harvard University.

                Jump ahead to 1814. He was appointed to the commission that negotiated the peace treaty with England ending the War of 1812.

                  in 1817 he is appointed Secretary of State by James Monroe. He is considered by many historians as our greatest Secretary of State.

               Much of his work as Secretary of State if settling boundary disputes. In 1817 and 1818 he works out boundary agreements with England in Oregon which do much towards resolving bitter relations between the two countries. It establishes the 49th parallel as the northern boundary of the United States, which it still is today.

            1819 he negotiates with Spain the Adams-Onis Treaty basically transferred Spanish Florida to the United States and settled the boundaries of both countries all the way to the Pacific.

In 1823 he submits a plan which the President includes in his state of the Union message, that will become known as the "Monroe Doctrine" though it was Adams' work. This doctrine served through most of our history since and is still cited today.

               In 1824 he wins a disputed election to the Presidency against Andrew Jackson, who will spend four years stopping everything Adams tries to do. His Presidency is rather a disaster due to Jackson.

                He is defeated in the election of 1828 by Jackson, but this really begins for him another illustrious career. In 1830 he is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts where he will serve for the rest of his life. The next year he publishes a book of his own poetry, the only President who was also a published poet.

               His real passion was anti-slavery. The south at this time was trying to keep anti-slavery petitions from being read in Congress, the "gag" rules. Adams became a bitter opponent of the gag rules and came up with many ingenious ways to get around them. One southerner said of Adams that he is the "the acutest, the astutest, the archest enemy of southern slavery that ever existed".

               His opposition to slavery was probably best manifested in his defense of the slaves who took over the ship Amistad in 1839-40.  In a speech before the Supreme Court he argued brilliantly for the legal rights of the mutineers, and won the case for them. In the movie he was played by Anthony Hopkins. I contend that the greater the historical character, the more important actor they choose to portray him, and they come much bigger than Hopkins.

            While in Congress he became one America's strongest advocates for science. When a British scientist James Smithson bequeathed a large sum of money to the United States for the advancement of science, Adams was instrumental in getting the money used to found the Smithsonian Institution. He also pushed for and was the leading figure behind the founding of the United States naval observatory, the oldest scientific institution in the country. 

                  He was an outspoken opponent of the war with Mexico, seeing it as aggressive and that its main intent was to expand the territory open to slavery. In fact, Adams was really the last casualty of the Mexican War. On February 21, 1848, the Congress was debating pensions for officers who had served in the war. Adams was firmly opposed. The rest of the House resounded in Ayes, Adams rose from his chair to say "NO!" As the Speaker addressed him, he collapsed on the floor. He was carried to the Speaker's Office, where he died two days later of a massive coronary. His last words were, “This is the end of earth, but I am composed.”

                Thomas Hart Benton– a long time opponent–  said of him: “Death found him at the post of duty; and where else could it have found him.” He was 80 years old. Indeed. Fighting for his principles to the end.