John Quincy Adams, son of President John Adams, was the sixth president of the United States and the only president who held office just like his father. He was a man who impacted the world and the United States. John Quincy lived above personal greed and always made sure that the interests of the country were above personal interests. He always cared about the nation as a whole rather than social classes (Unger, p. 5-6). Every decision President Quincy made was for the betterment of the United States. He was a patriot and followed in the footsteps of his late father. John Quincy Adams was a man of many titles, and each of them was honored with a good job. In every position he has held, he has left a trail of good praise and good work. In addition to the presidential title, he was also a diplomat, a secretary of state, a senator and a major congressman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay John Quincy Adams was a great role model, he had great character as a leader and also as a person, and he had a great impact on the United States. As a leader, he was hard-working, intelligent, patriotic, independent-minded, eloquent speaker and humane (Unger, p. 6). These qualities saw him recognized as a great diplomat and a great secretary of state. As president, his views were always benevolent, and this was rare for major political parties, but it did not scare him. He always made sure to keep national goals ahead of his own. He was a selfless leader who always worked to support humanity and when he finally found a way to fight slavery he did so wholeheartedly. His independent-minded nature was a great asset because he did not follow the rules of politics but always worked with what he believed was best for the United States. As much as he faced opposition, he still stood his ground on what he needed to do. His intelligent thinking always brought out the best in every situation faced by the United States, and a good example is the Treaty of Ghent (Unger, p. 16). As president, John Quincy Adams encountered much opposition from his enemies. Despite this, he still managed to do some good works. As president, he sought to modernize the American economy by supporting high tariffs to protect American industries and the federal government, and by maintaining high public land prices to generate federal revenue, promote education, and also support infrastructure improvements. He proposed federal projects such as ports, road and canal construction, a national university, and a national bank that would be used to promote commerce. He also recommended federal support for the arts and sciences, but received much opposition from supporters of Andrew Jackson (Unger, p. 18). Even so, he managed to pay off most of the United States' national debts. He reduced it from sixteen million dollars to five million dollars. The reduction of state debts was a significant achievement during his tenure. He ushered in a new era of modernization in America and helped shape its foreign policy that safeguarded the country's nationalist republican values. . Goods, money and people traveled more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Through him, technological innovations and new means of communication spread messages of religious revival, social reforms and party politics. Unfortunately, his bid to run for another term did not bear fruit after his presidential years (Unger, p. 22). His passion forpublic service continued even after the end of his presidential term. He ran for and won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1830 election. Quincy's victory went against the general consensus that the former president should not run for public office. He was the first person to serve in Congress after being president and remains one of only two former presidents to do so. In Congress, he served as chairman of the Committee on Trade and Produce, the Committee on Indian Affairs, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. While in Congress, he used his position to fight slavery. Something that was inhuman and hateful to him. A gag rule was passed to prevent him from filing the slavery petition, but he did so anyway. His request angered his congressional enemies, 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 Amistad. Adams appeared before the Supreme Court and argued for an hour in favor of Amistad. His argument stated that Africans who had taken control of a Spanish ship on which they had been 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 were illegally sold into slavery. They escaped the chains and took control of the ship. They killed the captain and the cook. Some of the crew managed to escape and the Africans forced the rest of the crew to take them back to their homes. This did not happen because the team deceived them and sailed north at night. The Amistad was later arrested near Long Island, New York. Ultimately, all of his arguments succeeded and the court ruled in favor of the Africans who were declared free and could return home to their families or remain in the United States. He never billed for his services. The speech he gave was not only for the Supreme Court but also for the national audience. He educated about the evils of slavery (Unger, p. 64). The only reason he made slavery his personal battle is because of his human character. Slavery was wrong and disrespected the very essence of humanity. This act showed his brevity, his courage and his independent-minded nature. Characteristics that every leader should possess to be great. This made him a great role model for political generations after him. He was named among the most courageous figures in American history and was ranked first in John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning book Profiles in Courage. As secretary of state, John Quincy Adams made a major impact while working under James Monroe. He played a key role in determining the president's foreign policy, including the famous Monroe Doctrine. It stated that attempts by European powers to colonize parts of the Western Hemisphere near the United States constituted threats to the United States and would be treated as such. He helped secure the nation's borders and new territories and also established strict policies regarding territorial expansion. This doctrine also noted that the United States would not interfere with existing European colonies or intrude on the internal concerns of European countries (Unger, p. 33). He negotiated with Great Britain over the United States' northern border with Canada and also negotiated the Treaty of Florida which led to the annexation of Florida. Everything he accomplished while in public service was a result of his character.