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Essay / Analysis of John Quincy Adams as a Leader
John Quincy Adams, son of President John Adams, was the sixth president of the United States and the only president to serve in the office like his father. He was a man who made an impact on the world and the United States. John Quincy lived above personal greed and always ensured that the interest of the country came before personal interests. He always cared about the nation as a whole rather than social classes (Unger, pp. 5-6). Every decision President Quincy made was for the good of the United States. He was a patriot and followed in his late father's footsteps. John Quincy Adams was a man of many titles, and everyone was honored by his good work. In every position he held, he left a trace of praise and good work. Besides the presidential title, he also served as a diplomat, secretary of state, senator, and major congressman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayJohn Quincy Adams was a great role model, had great character as a leader and also as a person, and he had a big impact in the United States. As a leader, he was hard-working, intelligent, patriotic, independent-minded, eloquent speaker and humane (Unger, p. 6). These qualities earned him recognition as a great diplomat and a great secretary of state. As president, his views were always sympathetic, which was a rare occurrence for politicians of the major parties, but that did not scare him. He always made sure to keep national objectives before his own. He was a selfless leader who always worked to defend humanity and when he finally found a way to fight slavery, he did it with all his heart. His independent-minded nature was a great asset because he did not follow the rules of politics, but he always worked with what he thought was best for the United States. Even though he faced opposition, he stuck to what he had to do. His intelligent thinking always made the best of every situation the United States faced, and the Treaty of Ghent is a good example (Unger, p. 16). As president, John Quincy Adams encountered strong opposition from his enemies. However, he still managed to do good works. As president, he sought to modernize the American economy by supporting high tariffs to protect American industries and the federal government and maintaining high prices for public land to generate federal revenue, promote education and also support infrastructure improvement. He proposed federal projects such as the construction of ports, roads and canals, a national university and a national bank that would be used to foster trade. He also recommended federal support for the arts and sciences, but he encountered much opposition from supporters of Andrew Jackson (Unger, p. 18). Despite this, he managed to pay off most of the United States' national debts. He reduced it from sixteen million dollars to five million dollars. Reducing state debts was a significant achievement during his term. He ushered in a new era of modernization in America and helped shape its foreign policy that preserved the country's nationalist Republican values. . Goods, money, and people traveled faster and more efficiently than ever before. Thanks to him, technological innovations and new means of communication spread messages of religious renewal, social reforms and political parties. Unfortunately,his attempt to run for another term did not bear fruit after his years as president (Unger, p. 22). His passion for public service continues even after his presidential term ends. He ran for and won a seat in the United States House of Representatives in the 1830 election. Quincy's victory went against popular opinion that the former president should not run to public functions. He was the first person to serve in Congress after serving as president and remains one of only two former presidents to do so. In Congress, he was chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Manufacturing, the Committee on Indian Affairs, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In Congress, he used his position to fight slavery. Something that seemed inhuman and odious to him. A gag rule was passed to prevent him from filing the slavery petition, but he did it anyway. His request angered his enemies in Congress, who tried to censor him, but failed. In 1841 he was invited by Lewis Tappan and Ellis Gray to join the United States' cause against the Amistad. Adams appeared before the Supreme Court and argued for an hour in favor of Amistad. His argument said that Africans who took control of a Spanish ship on which they were illegally transported as slaves should not be extradited or deported to Cuba but should be considered free (Unger, p. 62). The African captives came from Sierra Leone and had been illegally sold into slavery. They escaped their restraints and took possession of the ship. They killed the captain and the cook. Some of the crew managed to escape and the Africans forced the other crew members to take them home. This didn't happen because the team tricked them and sailed north at night. The Amistad was later apprehended near Long Island, New York. In the end, all of his arguments were accepted and the court ruled in favor of the Africans who were declared free and allowed to return home to their families or remain in the United States. He never charged for his services. The speech he delivered was addressed not only to the Supreme Court but also to the national audience. He gave lessons on the evils of slavery (Unger, p. 64). The only reason he made slavery his personal fight is because of his human character. Slavery was wrong and disrespected the very essence of humanity. This act showed his brevity, courage and independent character. Characters that every leader should have to be great. This made him an excellent role model for the political generations that followed him. He has been named one of the bravest people in American history and was ranked number one in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy. As Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams made a great impact while working under the leadership of James Monroe. He played a key role in determining the president's foreign policy, including the famous Monroe Doctrine. He said attempts by European powers to colonize parts of the Western Hemisphere close to the United States posed threats to the United States and would be treated as such. He helped secure the country's borders and new territories and also established strict policies regarding territorial expansion. This doctrine also noted that the United States would not intervene in existing European colonies or the internal concerns of European countries (Unger, p. 33). He negotiated with Great Britain over the northern border of the United States.