Cobblestones Home : Colonial Lives : Biography of John Adams

        John Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1735. In school his favorite subject was math. When he was a boy he cut wood, milked cows, fed horses and took care of the farm animals. Adams graduated in 1755 and he planned to be a lawyer. His first job was to be a teacher, but he got bored with that so he started to study law at night and then went to Harvard College. He was admitted to the bar in 1758. When he was twenty nine he married Abigail Smith. They moved to Weymouth, Massachusetts and had four children.

The American Revolution put Adams in a high political position. He signed the Declaration of Independence. He had a cousin name Samuel Adam that also signed the Declaration of Independence. John Adams defended the British in the trial after the Boston Massacre. He represented Captain Prescott. He was unpopular with the Patriots because of this.
   During his political life Adams was Ambassador to Russia and second president of the United States. He served two terms as Vice President because he said it was a better job than being President. He was president for five years. He ran for President for a second term but he lost to Thomas Jefferson.

If I met John Adams I would ask him three questions. When you got beat by Thomas Jefferson were you sad.? Did you and your wife ever get angry with each other? How did you spend your time with your wife?

   Life for John Adams in colonial America was different than it is today. They had different food. They had horses instead of cars. They had school in the house.
He was the leader and made the rules so it was better for him. I think John Adams would like to live in America today because he knows lot of places in like Boston. If he lived in modern America I think he would be a teacher of law or be President.

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