John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard in 1755 and taught school for three years while studying law. In 1764, he married Abigail Smith.

Adams was a delegate to the First Continental Congress, and it was he who suggested George Washington as commander of the Continental Army. He was also one of a 5-man committee chose to draft the Declaration of Independence. During the Revolutionary War, he worked in France and the Netherlands to gain support for the American cause. He, along with Benjamin Franklin, signed the peace treaty with Great Britain to end the conflict.

In 1789, he was elected the United States' first Vice President and in 1796 he became its second President. Although his policies were not always popular, he persevered in doing what he believed was necessary to preserve and strengthen the union. His son was inaugurated as president just a few months before his death on July 4, 1826.