John Adams

John Adams was the second President of the United States of America, and was also one of the key figures during the Revolution and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

He made a name for himself as a lawyer in Massachusetts, successfully defending the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. During 1775 and 1776, he was in the forefront of those advocating independence. Following the war, he had a falling out with Thomas Jefferson, with unity giving way to party politics.

During his presidency he successfully kept the United States uninvolved with European wars, siding with neither France nor Great Britain during the French Revolution and its aftermath. The low point of his presidency was the Alien and Sedition Acts, which limited free speech and were soon repealed.