John Quincy Adams: 6th President (1825-1829); b. 1767; d. 1848
John Quincy Adams is certainly one of the more interesting men to be president. He truly is a bridge between two eras--the revolutionary in which he grew up and first served his country, and the antebellum era/age of Jackson in which he, for decades, continued to serve his country and follow the dictates of his conscience. The man was brilliant--he spoke seven languages--and was passionately interested in advancing the cause of his country. But his failings as a politicians limited his abilities as a statesman and ultimately doomed his presidency to failure. He certainly isn't unique in this regard (is he the Jimmy Carter of the 19th Century?). But he is unique in many other ways. And if he wasn't a great president (he wasn't), he was a great American.
Nagel's book is an excellent read. His book really is about both Quincy Adams's public and private lives, and he gives significant focus to both. He really attempts to understand the man, who was himself a bundle of contradictions and likely never fully understood himself. Nagel dives into Quincy Adams's diary and letters, and the letters of those around him. What we get is a compelling picture of a compelling and driven man who was, at many times, hindered by his ability to truly understand those around him. The main limitation of Nagel's work is that he devotes only a single chapter to Quincy Adams's presidency--but to be fair, there wasn't too much to say about that topic. (One also gets the sense that by avoiding Q's greatest failure, Nagel is able to spend more time talking about his triumphs.) There is a lot of enjoyment and joy in Nagel's work that shines through, and really makes the book compelling.
The Wandering American: It is perhaps remarkable how much time young Quincy Adams spent abroad. He spent time with his father in France and the Netherlands as a teenager, spending time in European schools and learning French language and culture (when he applied to Harvard his mother was worried that he spoke French better than English). When his father returned to North America, he went to Russia as a secretary and spent nearly three years as a teenager in eastern and northern Europe working and traveling without parental oversight. His reluctance to come home when summoned back--his slow trip through Sweden as he was returning from Russia is a great story of a young man trying to come of age--shows how much he loved living abroad. After 1789 and his graduation from Harvard, he became minister to the Netherlands and Portugal and helped negotiate the Jay Treaty. Then, after being a U.S. Senator, he became minister to Russia and England. His close friendship to the Tsar--they apparently spent many hours together and enjoyed long walks in St. Petersburg--is one of the amazing international friendships in American history. He met and married his wife (who was an American) in London. So much of his time was spent amongst the power brokers in the great European capitals that it is difficult to imagine his adjustment to living again in post-colonial Massachusetts. If he had never been president, he would have been a historical figure along the lines of Henry Clay, and perhaps a step below Alexander Hamilton. It is almost the case that because he was a poor president, his other accomplishments are forgotten.
The Corrupt Bargain: He was elected president by the House of Representatives. This was a transition period in the U.S.--Jacksonian democracy was on the rise, but not yet ascendant. The fact that he was chosen by the House was not then truly notable--the same occurred in 1800. But after 1824, more and more electors were chosen by the popular vote, and the presidency would be seen as accountable to the people directly. He was elected as a man and not as the representative of a party. This was largely a result of Monroe's crushing success in the era of good feelings. The Federalists had been destroyed as a functioning party. Because of that, the Democrats had no enemy and, therefore, many personalities vied for prominence. This would never again be the case--the other closest example is the Republican ascendency after the Civil War, but then the party apparatus functioned ruthlessly. And the rumor--likely not true--was that he agreed that if Henry Clay would give his electoral votes to Q, he would be made Secretary of State. Once Quincy Adams learned of this rumor, he appointed Clay to head State anyway because it was the right decision. But this tarnished both of their images and helped shatter Quincy Adams's ability to govern. Ironically, such legislative horse trading would become par for the course in the party politics that arose after Q left office--but he suffered for it nonetheless.
The Monroe Doctrine: Yeah, Quincy Adams wrote it.
Presidency: Quincy Adams began his presidency by announcing support for national improvements in education, navigation, and internal improvements. He was ahead of his time in supporting a national system that would improve the lives of all Americans. And he was destroyed. The Democrats launched a campaign of obstructionism that prevented him from accomplishing anything. And Quincy Adams both (a) was unable to personally assert his will with Congress (as Monroe or Johnson would) and (b) lacked an administration that could work with Congress to advance legislation (think of what Van Buren did for Jackson or what Wilson's many advisers did for him).
Post Presidency: It's frustrating that modern presidents are essentially put out to pasture when they retire. Quincy Adams eventually returned to the House where he was a distinguished representative who spoke forcefully in favor of abolition, was a lawyer in the Amistad case, and worked with Abraham Lincoln. And he died in the House--literally in the House of Representatives. Q collapsed during a speech and died in the Speaker's office.
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