His father was a Braintree, Mass., farmer and shoemaker. Although Adams was able to attend college, his two younger brothers did not, and became farmers.

In 1770, Adams defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre in a belief that they had a right to effective legal counsel. Adams obtained deathbed testimony from one of the five men mortally wounded by the British soldiers, who swore that the crowd, not the troops were to blame for the massacre.

Adams was the first Vice President (1789-1797) and second President (1797-1801) of the United States. His son, John Quincy Adams, later became the nations' sixth President.