Born on this day in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, John Quincy Adams (1767–1848), affectionately known as "Old Man Eloquent," was the eldest son of John Adams and Abigail Adams. Like his father, he served a single term as President of the United States.

"I am a man of reserved, cold, austere, and forbidding manners," he wrote in his diary, calling himself "an unsocial savage."

Proficient in Greek, Latin, French, Dutch, and German, Adams was a brilliant statesman appointed minister to the Netherlands by George Washington. He was later elected to the U.S. Senate and appointed Secretary of State by President James Monroe in 1817.

He played a leading role in shaping the Monroe Doctrine, a cornerstone of American foreign policy. "May our country be always successful," he wrote, "but whether successful or otherwise, always right."

Elected President in 1825, Adams liked to swim in the Potomac River. After leaving the White House, he returned to public service in the House of Representatives where he became one of the nation's strongest voices against slavery, courageously defending the right to petition and speaking out for freedom.

"Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make good use of it," he said. "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."