John Quincy Adams: the record and the legends

Old Man Eloquent. The 6th president, 1825-1829, from Massachusetts. Every story here is tagged Record, meaning it’s documented, or Legend, meaning it gets told a lot and doesn’t hold up. Each one links to its source.

President: 6th
In office: 1825-1829
Home state: Massachusetts
Party: Democratic-Republican
Height: 5'7½"

The record

RecordIn 1825 President Adams tried to cross the Potomac in a leaky canoe. The wind swamped it, and he ended up swimming for shore, losing his coat, his waistcoat and a shoe. His diary said it caused him no inconvenience.Source: Massachusetts Historical Society, John Quincy Adams Digital Diary, June 13, 1825
RecordAt 73, Adams went before the Supreme Court for the Africans who had taken over the slave ship Amistad. He argued for eight and a half hours, and the Court ruled they were free.Source: National Archives, The Amistad Case
RecordAfter losing the presidency in 1828, Adams ran for the House of Representatives and won. He served there for 17 years, the only former president to do that.Source: Miller Center, J.Q. Adams: Impact and Legacy
RecordAdams got up between 5 and 6 and walked about two hours every morning, and often again in the evening.Source: Massachusetts Historical Society, I Lived Like John Quincy Adams for a Week

The legends

LegendThe famous story goes that the reporter Anne Royall caught Adams swimming in the Potomac, sat on his clothes, and wouldn't give them back until he gave her an interview. Historians call it made up. He really did swim there most mornings, and the two really did know each other.Source: Massachusetts Historical Society, John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

What he cared about

Federal roads and canals, plus a national university and observatory.
Trade treaties and a firm foreign policy. As Secretary of State he wrote much of the Monroe Doctrine.
After his presidency, fighting the House rule that blocked antislavery petitions.

The full record

He opposed slavery in public, but while he was in the White House his household used the labor of two enslaved people, Holzey and Rachel Clark, owned by family members.

How he fights in POTUS KO

Swims the Potomac before breakfast

Adams swam for an hour, walked for two, and fought the gag rule for years until it fell. In the ring he wrestles and grinds you down slowly.

See POTUS KO

Questions about John Quincy Adams

Did John Quincy Adams swim in the Potomac?

The famous story goes that the reporter Anne Royall caught Adams swimming in the Potomac, sat on his clothes, and wouldn't give them back until he gave her an interview. Historians call it made up. He really did swim there most mornings, and the two really did know each other.

What did John Quincy Adams do after he was president?

After losing the presidency in 1828, Adams ran for the House of Representatives and won. He served there for 17 years, the only former president to do that.

Did John Quincy Adams argue the Amistad case?

At 73, Adams went before the Supreme Court for the Africans who had taken over the slave ship Amistad. He argued for eight and a half hours, and the Court ruled they were free.