He Became A Lawyer Without Going To Law School
Adams did receive a master's degree from Harvard in 1790, but his legal education was actually finished under the tutelage of the legendary Theophilus Parsons, who later left Boston's private practice to become Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court. In doing so, he joins the illustrious list of historical figures who were lawyers, which also includes lawyers like Abraham Lincoln and Alexander Hamilton who also did not go to law school.
John Quincy Adams had a long and illustrious political career. John Quincy Adams, the son of Abigail and John Adams, was born in 1767, graduated from law school in 1787, and quickly began working as a diplomat in politics. In 1803, he was elected as the Massachusetts state senator for the Federalist party. Adams rapidly made a name for himself as a free-thinking individual who was willing to reject party loyalty. He defeated Andrew Jackson in a contentious election to become the sixth president of the United States in 1824. John Quincy Adams served in the House of Representatives for nearly 17 years after leaving office, where he was known as "Old Man Eloquent." On February 23, 1848, Adams experienced a stroke and passed away in the US Capitol. His extraordinary journal offers an insightful portrait of early American politics.
