ican colonies from England. A native of Braintree, Massachusetts, he received an education at Harvard before studying law. As a young attorney in Boston, Adams saw growing political unrest in New England and throughout the colonies. He frequently fueled anti-British sentiment with newspaper editorials and other writings that defended the rights of colonial citizens against the distant authority of the British Crown. In 1774, after serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Adams was appointed a delegate to the newly formed Continental Congress.During the next few years, Adams became deeply involved in the steady colonial march toward separation from Britain. Once the Continental Congress officially voted for independence on June 7, 1776, Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and two others were chosen to draft a manifesto declaring independence. After a lengthy debate in which Adams vigorously defended the document before his fellow delegates, Congress accepted and ratified the final version of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. By denouncing the authority of the Crown, the signers of the declaration were committing a dangerous act of treason. Nevertheless, their actions, and the stirring language of the document itself, would forever change the world and its concept of liberty and equality.Over the next decade, when he wasn't busy writing and assisting with the war effort at home, Adams conducted official business abroad. Then, in 1785, he was named America's first ambassador to England. During these long periods away from home, Adams exchanged frequent letters with his wife, Abigail. These published letters and Adams's diary paint a delightful picture not only of John and Abigail and their family, but of their candid reactions to the historic events of the time.In 1789, Adams received the second highest number of electoral votes in the bid for the presidency, hence he became vice president to George Was...
