Biography:

John Quincy Adams was the 6th president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. Born in Braintree, Massachusetts, he was the son of John Adams, the 2nd president of the United States, and Abigail Adams. A  multilingual, Harvard-educated attorney, diplomat, and legislator, John Quincy Adams served as US minister to the Netherlands and Prussia before being elected to the Massachusetts State and then the US Senate in 1803, serving until 1808. He then was appointed ambassador to Russia (1809-1814) by President Madison. Adams, furthermore, assisted Madison in negotiating the Treaty of Ghent, which brought about the end of the War of 1812. As secretary of state under President Monroe (1817-1825) Adams was instrumental in shaping the Monroe Doctrine, acquiring the Floridas from Spain, and negotiating joint US-British occupation of the Oregon territory.
In 1824, Adams was one of five contenders for the US presidency, running against Andrew Jackson, John Calhoun, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay. Adams carried the Northeast, but Jackson beat Adams in both popular and electoral votes. No candidate, however, won a majority of electoral votes. Consequently, the US House of Representatives decided the election. Speaker of the House Henry Clay supported Adams, who won the presidency. Following his inauguration, Adams appointed Clay as secretary of state, prompting Jackson's supporters to accuse him of having struck a "corrupt bargain" in order to gain the presidency. In the subsequent presidential election of 1828, Adams lost to Jackson, becoming the first US president not to be elected to a second term. Adams retired briefly to farm life in Massachusetts but was elected to House of Representatives in 1830, where he served until his death in 1848, at age 80.