A Founding Father and the second President, John Adams (1735–1826) was born on this day in Braintree, now Quincy, Massachusetts. He was the thoughtful son of a successful farmer who believed deeply in the power of ideas.

“Genius is sorrow’s child,” he said, a glimpse of how honestly he viewed the work of shaping a nation.

After graduating from Harvard with the hope of sharing “genius, learning, and virtue,” Adams married Abigail Smith, whom he called his “best, dearest, worthiest, wisest friend.” Their partnership steadied him through every storm of public life.

His vision and leadership helped guide America toward independence. He urged the Continental Congress to choose George Washington as commander of the army and relied on Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence.

“Fear is the foundation of most governments,” he warned, always questioning how power shapes human behavior.

Adams served two terms as Washington’s Vice President, which he once described as “the most insignificant office ever invented.” His own Presidency carried a quieter influence, yet his integrity endured. He lived long enough to watch his son, John Quincy Adams, take the oath of office.

As the first resident of the White House, he offered a prayer for the nation’s future: “I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.”

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