John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams was the 6th President of the United States, serving from 1825 until 1849.http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams/ He was born in 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts and was the son of the second president of the U.S., John Adams.http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams/

Adams became a linguist while serving as secretary to his father in Europe and became a lawyer after graduating from Harvard. He was minister to the Netherlands when he was 26 years old. He served in the United States Senate between a stint in the Berlin Legation and an appointment as the Russian foreign minister by President James Madison. During his foreign service, he helped created the foundation of the Monroe Doctrine with the president.http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams

John Quincy Adams was elected to the presidency under controversy. After losing the popular and electoral vote to Andrew Jackson, Adams became president after a vote by the top three officials in the House of Representatives. No candidate had won the majority of votes, so Adams became president because the representatives, including Henry Clay, favored his vision and programs over Jackson. Adams appointed Clay as Secretary of State immediately after his inauguration, stirring controversy regarding corruption in the voting process. Adams was defeated in the 1824 election to Andrew Jackson. Monroe was then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he stayed until he died in 1848.http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams

During his time in office he championed a highway and canal network, including the 185 mile C&O Canal. He pushed for the development of a national university that would focus on scientific expeditions. During his time in the House of Representatives, Adams worked to end slavery and for civil liberties.http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams