John Adams (1735-1826)
The first was the second.
Our first Vice President became our second President. John Adams (1735-1826) served as our nation’s first Vice President. He placed second in the electoral college balloting to George Washington (34 votes vs. 69 votes). Imagine our country today if this practice was still in play!
Adams was a revolutionary leader, along with his cousin Samuel Adams. He believed in justice for all, including the British soldiers who were involved in the Boston Massacre. Eight soldiers, one officer and four civilians were tried for murder and Adams was able to secure acquittals for 6 of the soldiers.
As president, John Adams was the first to take up residence in the White House. He was the first father of a president (John Quincy Adams). Adams was also our first ambassador to Britain, an important role seeing how he was instrumental in framing the Declaration of Independence and the constitution following the war with Britain.
So being second isn’t always a bad thing. It can lead to a lot of firsts.
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.” John Adams
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