John Adams

1735-10-30 - 1826-07-04 Contemporaries

John Adams was a Founding Father and the second president of the United States, serving from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency he was a leader of the American Revolution, a diplomat in Europe, and the first vice president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. As a lawyer he defended British soldiers against murder charges arising from the Boston Massacre, and he assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776.