Adams, John Quincy

6th president of the USA 1825–29, eldest son of President John Adams. He negotiated the Treaty of Ghent (1814) to end the War of 1812 (fought with Britain) on generous terms for the USA. In 1817 he became President James Monroe's secretary of state, formulating the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. As president, Adams was a Federalist (an advocate of strong federal government), but was ultimately unable to accomplish many of his policies because of power struggles within his own Democratic-Republican party.

Jackson's ambitious federal programmes met Congressional resistance throughout his term. He supported an ‘American System’, linking the North and South, including plans for a substantial network of highways and canals and a national university. Although construction began for the 296-km/185-mi Chesapeake and Ohio (C & O) Canal in 1828, most of his programmes were not achieved. He met further resistance to the ‘abominable tariffs’ imposed during his presidency, levies on foreign imports of raw materials that protected US agricultural interests but raised the prices of US manufactured goods. In 1831 Adams was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served until his death. He was especially known after 1835 for his abolitionist views, his vigorous speeches against slavery earning him the nickname ‘Old Man Eloquent’.