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==Public Office after Presidency==

==Public Office after Presidency==

After being defeated by Andrew Jackson, Adams retired in Quincy, Massachusetts.  However, in 1830 he ran and won a seat in the house of Representatives.  His most dedicated work in Congress was against slavery.  He protested the gag rule, as well as the [[Mexican-American War]].  He suffered a stroke on February 21, 1848.  He died two days later in the evening of February 23, 1848 in the capital of Washington D.C.  <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents John Quincy Adams]] by Zachary Kent, Children's Press</ref>

After being defeated by Andrew Jackson, Adams retired in Quincy, Massachusetts.  However, in 1830 he ran and won a seat in the House of Representatives.  While many speculated that Adams ran solely to earn money, this was not the case, as he had sufficient funds to last him the rest of his life.  Adams probably ran for his Congressional seat for a combination of several reasons, chief among them the fact that he tried to raise his children in the smae way he was raised, which is to say they spent lots of time away from home, which had a very negative impact on one of his sons, who died untimely.  Adams, a former president, may have subjected himself to the humiliation of serving as a freshman Congressman as a sort of penance.   

 

Adams most dedicated work in Congress was against slavery.  He protested the gag rule, as well as the [[Mexican-American War]].  In a dramatic statement on the floor of the House, he protested, during a vote on the gag rule, "I hold the resolution to be a direct violation of the Constitution of the United States, the rules of this House, and the rights of my constituents." Adams was known for his sharp, insightful speeches, as well as his savage attacks of his opponents.  He was referred to as "the old man" just as often as "old man eloquent."  His battle against the gag rule finally bore fruit as it was eventually repealed.

 

He suffered a stroke on February 21, 1848.  He died two days later in the evening of February 23, 1848 in the capital of Washington D.C.  <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents John Quincy Adams]] by Zachary Kent, Children's Press</ref>

 

==Miscellaneous Facts==

==Miscellaneous Facts==

*The French aristocrat and American hero, the [[Marquis de Lafayette]], gave John Quincy Adams an alligator as a pet. Adams kept it in a bathroom in the White House until he left office in 1829.  

*The French aristocrat and American hero, the [[Marquis de Lafayette]], gave John Quincy Adams an alligator as a pet. Adams kept it in a bathroom in the White House until he left office in 1829.