John Adams Trivia

The other day the science section head, Constance Carter, bought a John Adams doll at the White House Visitor Center for a gift basket (see pictures in this post). Since John Adams is the namesake of our building and the inspiration for Inside Adams we thought it would be fun to provide our readers with some John Adams Trivia.

Did you know John Adams…

• Was the 2^nd President of the United States (March 4, 1797 to March 3, 1801)
• Was the 1^st Vice President of the United States under George Washington (1789-97)
• Nickname was “Atlas of Independence”
• First president to reside in the White House – moving in November 1, 1800 while the paint was still wet
• Wife, Abigail Smith, hung her laundry in the East Room to dry
• Born & died in Braintree (now Quincy) Massachusetts
• Died on July 4, 1826, the same day as Thomas Jefferson and the 50^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
• Sent 3 commissioners to France – an event that later came to be know as the XYZ Affair
• Son, John Quincy Adams, became the 6^th President of the United States
• Established the Library of Congress
• Was both a teacher and a lawyer
• Was one of only two signers of the Declaration of Independence to be elected president. Thomas Jefferson was the other.

More information on John Adams can be found at:

• Library of Congress: John Adams, A Resource Guide

• The White House: The Presidents

• National Parks Service: Adams and Presidential Trivia

• The John Adams Library at the Boston Public Library

• ipl2 Information You Can Trust – Special Collections: POTUS Presidents of the United States: John Adams: