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John Quincy Adams Democratic-Republican 1825-1829 John C. Calhoun John Quincy Adams was not very popular among the American people. His two main goals were modernizing America and protecting the American industry though these two things were not effectively accomplished, John Quincy Adams deserves a D. The first goal of John Quincy Adams was to modernize America. John Quincy Adams wanted to improve the lives of all parties. He supported the “American System”. He wanted the federal government to pay for the internal improvements of America. He wanted to build roads, canals, a national university, and other institutions. When he proposed his goal to Congress, many Congressmen were troubled by this. Therefore John Quincy Adams could never get anything passed for the federal government to fund internal improvements. The only improvements John Quincy Adams got were the westward extension of the Cumberland Road into Ohio and the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. Another goal of John Quincy Adams was to protect the American industry, mainly in the North. To accomplish this John Quincy Adams proposed a high tax, the Tariff of 1828, on foreign goods. This tariff, known as the Tariff of Abominations, became law, this law however created many political enemies for him, including the vice president. The relationship between Congress and John Quincy Adams was not good. He had trouble finding support within his own party. Every time John Quincy Adams tried to get something passed in Congress for internal improvements, they would reject it. John Quincy Adams therefore could never make the internal improvements he desired. John Quincy Adams attempts to modernize America did produce some minor successes. The extension of the Cumberland Road into Ohio and the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal were his proudest achievements. This led the way for Americans to look toward the federal government to make internal improvements. The Tariff of Abominations was John Quincy Adams’ decision that had the most negative outcome. This action divided the nation. The northerners supported this because it protected their industry, but the southerners opposed the tariff because they felt that it discriminated against them and they felt that it was unfair. The southerners believed it forced them to purchase the North’s goods. The one decision that really influenced the lives of future Americans was the Tariff of Abominations because it started a feud that would become the Civil War. They believed that they tariff was unconstitutional. This fueled the southerners’ fear of being cheated and taken advantage of by the North. In conclusion, America was better off before his term. John Quincy Adams did not do every much in office. He made sectionalism a bigger issue and helped the rift between the North and the South. He did not complete any of his goals. Therefore John Quincy Adams does deserve a D. Works Cited “6. John Quincy Adams 1825-1829.” __The White House.__ 4 March 4, 2010. < [] >. Bailey, Thomas A., Lizabeth Cohen, David M. Kennedy. __The American Pageant.__ Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Degregorio, William A. __The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents.__ Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books Inc, 2005. “John Quincy Adams (1767-1848).” __Miller Center Public Affairs.__ 2010. 4 March 4, 2010. < [] >.