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(July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) Did not affiliate with any specific party, but became a Whig after his presidency. In Office: March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829 Vice President: John C. Calhoun John Quincy Adams had already started off on a bad foot upon entering the presidency because of the alleged “corrupt bargain” that had gotten him there. Adams had large amounts of potential including his experience as a highly effective diplomat and as President Monroe’s Secretary of State. However, he did not follow through on many of his plans, most likely because of his lack thereof support. Since he did not do much in drastically altering the country for the better or worse, John Quincy Adams deserves the grade of a C. Upon being elected, Adams had dreams of a specialized national economy and promoting of foreign affairs. His nationalistic views gave him a desire for internal improvements such as roads, canals, national universities, national naval academy, and even an astronomical observatory. He pushed the improvement of the greater good, not only for the country as a whole but for the world as a whole. He wanted to have America contribute to the sciences and technological advances, just as Europe was doing with their 130 and counting observatories. Most of these improvements were never made because Adams had trouble passing legislation pertaining to them. One example of success in this category is the extension of the Cumberland Road into Ohio. Also, being an experienced diplomat, he wanted to improve foreign affairs. At the time the Monroe Doctrine had warded off most European confrontation and now it was time to improve relations with the West Indies and Latin America. He had the right idea by going to these countries, but both attempts failed. As of the 1826 election, Adams’ Jacksonian enemies had come to be the majority in both the House and Senate. These people were nowhere near supporters of internal improvements, thus making it difficult to pass much legislation pertaining to Adams’ precious plan. However, Congress did help Adams in passing the “Tariff of Abominations” which promoted the protection of domestic commerce as opposed to foreign commerce. Overall, Adams did not have an optimal relationship with congress but the two opposites did come together on some issues to move the country forward. Adams  ’ insistence on internal improvements was his most positive action because even though it did not have the approval of all, the improvements that became a reality definitely helped to move the nation forward. By doing things such as extending the Cumberland Road into Ohio, and the completion of the Eerie Canal thanks to national funding, national commerce and trade was bettered and westward expansion was easier. This spirit of an improved transportation system carried through the next few decades. On the other hand, Adams’ most negative action would have to be his support of the Tariff of Abominations. This bill had good intentions of promoting domestic commerce, but instead ended up hurting the south by making it more expensive to import things from British manufacturers which they depended on. The Tariff of Abominations not only drove the wedge of sectionalism deeper into the country, but also ended in Adams’ own Vice President to draft legislation called the South Carolina Exposition. The South Carolina Exposition stated that states had the right to nullify federal laws which harmed state rights. A decision, or moreover the idea, to promote internal improvements was the most influential action of Adams on future administrations and America as a whole. John Quincy Adams was still a nationalist when it was no longer popular, and the rest of the country had turned towards states rights. His internal improvement victories such as the Eerie Canal and the Cumberland Road were steps which would end up promoting further advances in transportation such as railroads. Also, the desire to make America a power in the scientific field was a big deal, though most Americans at the time did not understand why they should waste government money on things like observatories. Adams wanted to have Americans be educated leaders, and this idea would come back up later. In conclusion, it was Adams’ ideas that were influential on future administrations as opposed to his actions. John Quincy Adams had his faults and his successes, but in the end did not live up to the expectations of a man who had so much experience in government and foreign affairs. The country was neither better off nor worse off at the end of his presidency, in reality the country stayed the same even in the fact that he ended up running against Jackson again. His pros and cons balanced each other out, making him deserving of the grade of a C. Sources: "Adams National Historical Park - John Quincy Adams Biography Page 3 (U.S. National Park Service)." // U.S. // // National Park Service - Experience Your America //. 30 July 2006. Web. 04 Mar. 2010. . "American President: John Quincy Adams: A Life in Brief." // Miller // // Center // // of Public Affairs //. Web. 04 Mar. 2010..
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