Born to a farming family in Massachusetts, John Adams was educated at Harvard University. He became a lawyer in 1758 and soon became politically active. In 1765 he wrote articles denouncing the Stamp Act. In 1770 he served as the defense lawyer for the British soldiers implicated in the Boston Massacre. Four years later, he served as a Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1776 he served on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. Adams also participated in the signing of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which officially ended the American Revolution. He was then appointed the first U.S. minister to Great Britain. In 1789 he became the first vice president under the new Constitution. After the presidency of George Washington, Adams emerged as the leader of the Federalist Party. He was elected president in 1796. During his presidency, Adams signed into law the Alien and Sedition Acts. After failing to win re-election in 1800, he retired to private life. In 1825, just one year before his death, he saw his son, John Quincy Adams, become president.
