John Quincy Adams and abolitionism facts for kids
John Quincy Adams was an important American leader. Like many people of his time, his ideas about slavery changed over the years. He never joined the group called "abolitionists," led by William Lloyd Garrison. This group wanted slavery to end right away. They also believed that owning slaves was a sin. Adams did not agree with them because he strongly believed in keeping the United States together. Abolitionists were often seen as wanting to break up the country.
After being president, Adams served in Congress for 17 years. There, he often dealt with issues about slavery. He became a strong supporter of free speech. He demanded that petitions (formal requests) against slavery be heard, even though there was a "gag rule" that tried to stop them. Adams spoke out many times against the "Slave Power." This was the political influence of slave owners, who controlled the southern states and their representatives in Congress. He strongly opposed adding Texas to the U.S. and the Mexican War. He saw these actions as a plan to spread slavery. During a debate, Adams said he was happy that southerners would always remember him as a fierce enemy of slavery.
Some historians say Adams was not a true abolitionist. But he quickly became the main opponent of slavery in Congress. Like others who disliked slavery, such as Henry Clay, Adams wanted to keep the country united above all else. However, he became more and more vocal against slavery. He worried that slavery would only end through a civil war. He did not think it would end quickly or easily, as abolitionists hoped.
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Early Life and Views
John Quincy Adams grew up in a family that never owned slaves. They were against the practice. His mother, Abigail Adams, strongly disliked slavery. His father, President John Adams, also opposed slavery. He thought it was wrong.
Before becoming president in 1824, John Quincy Adams mostly worked on foreign policy. Slavery was not a big issue in these discussions. There were no major arguments about slavery during his time as president.
The issue of national unity became a big debate under the next president, Andrew Jackson. South Carolina threatened to leave the United States. This was partly because of a tax called a tariff. This event, known as the Nullification Crisis, was solved. The tariff was lowered, and South Carolina stayed in the Union.
The debate over the Missouri Compromise in 1820 was a turning point for Adams. During this time, he disagreed with his friend John C. Calhoun. Calhoun became the most vocal national leader who supported slavery. Adams and Calhoun became bitter enemies. Adams called slavery a bad policy. Calhoun argued that the right to own slaves must be protected. He said this was needed to keep the nation together.
Adams believed slavery went against the ideas of republicanism. Calhoun said slavery was important for American democracy. He thought it made all white men equal. Adams predicted that if the South formed its own nation, it would be torn apart by a violent slave uprising. He also predicted that if the two nations went to war, the U.S. president would use war powers to end slavery. These two men became important leaders for the North and the South.
The Amistad Case
In 1841, Adams took on a very important case. He represented a group of Africans in the United States v. The Amistad Africans case before the Supreme Court of the United States. These Africans had been illegally kidnapped and forced onto a Spanish ship called La Amistad. They took control of the ship.
Adams successfully argued that these Africans should be free. The government, under President Martin Van Buren, wanted to send them back to Cuba. Cuba was a Spanish colony where slavery was legal. Adams won their freedom. They could choose to stay in the United States or return to Africa.
Adams argued that the U.S. had banned the international slave trade. This meant it was illegal to bring slaves from other countries. He did not charge any money for his work on the Amistad case. His speech in court was not just for the judges. It was also meant to teach the whole country about the terrible wrongs of slavery.
Serving in Congress
Adams was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1830. He served for 17 years, from 1831 until his death. He was a member of the Whig Party. He became a very important voice against slavery in Congress. Southern lawmakers even called him the "hell hound of abolition."
In 1836, Southern Congressmen passed a rule called the "gag rule." This rule meant that any petitions about slavery had to be immediately put aside. Congress had been receiving many petitions from citizens protesting slavery. Most of these came from the American Anti-Slavery Society in New York. The gag rule stopped discussions about slavery from 1836 to 1844. But Adams often found clever ways to get around it.
He refused to follow the House's gag rule. This rule banned any talk or debate about slavery. Adams used unusual methods to ignore the rule. His constant efforts annoyed his colleagues so much that they threatened to punish him. The House never actually voted to punish Adams. However, the debates he started, and the attempts to silence him, raised important questions. These questions were about the right to make petitions, the right to debate in Congress, and whether slavery was morally right.
In the South, anti-slavery writings were not allowed in the mail. Because of this, the issues of slavery and free speech became connected. This made more Americans care about these topics. During the debate about punishing him, Adams said he was happy that southerners would always remember him as "the acutest, the astutest, the archest enemy of southern slavery that ever existed."
Adams' Fight for Petitions
Adams had been presenting anti-slavery petitions in the House since he was first elected. He made it clear that this was about free speech. He personally disagreed with the petitions' demands for slavery to end immediately. But he insisted they should be heard.
As more and more anti-slavery writings appeared, the number of petitions sent to the House grew quickly. Some people believe tens of thousands of petitions arrived in early 1836. Southern congressmen, led by James Henry Hammond from South Carolina, wanted to stop any discussion of slavery in the House. Hammond asked that no anti-slavery petitions be accepted.
Congress had a heated debate about the right to petition the government. But the "gag rule" was soon adopted. Any talk about slavery or presenting related petitions was banned. The rule was to immediately set aside any petition or resolution about slavery and never act on it.
This rule hurt the growing anti-slavery movement. It also raised questions about free speech in the House of Representatives. Adams felt he had to challenge both the country's acceptance of slavery and the House's rule. This rule limited debate on important national issues. Adams used his legal knowledge to fight the gag rule. He also fought the effort to limit congressional discussion on slavery.
Adams found creative ways to keep challenging these rules. He asked that petitions submitted before the gag rule was put in place be reviewed. He thought the rule could not apply to older items. This request was denied, making the gag rule apply to past petitions too. Then, Adams and a colleague from Massachusetts started presenting petitions from other states. They also presented petitions from women asking for abolition. Women could not vote, but they were not directly banned from petitioning. All these clever tactics failed, and the petitions were dismissed.
On February 6, 1837, John Quincy Adams caused a stir in the House. He challenged the gag rule again, especially concerning petitions. Adams began to present a petition from what he said were nine ladies from Fredericksburg, Virginia. He was stopped by the House ban. But he had created interest among his colleagues.
A congressman from Fredericksburg wondered who these anti-slavery ladies were from a slave-holding state. He looked at the petition. He then challenged Adams, saying the women were not "ladies" as Adams had suggested. The congressman implied they were free black women or women of mixed race, and of "questionable character." Adams changed his petition to say it was from "women" instead of "ladies." But he insisted he could still present it. Adams' challenge to his colleagues' ideas about who could petition was not well received. But he pushed even further.
After his petition from the women of Fredericksburg was denied, Adams asked if it was allowed to present a petition signed by 22 enslaved people. His question caused chaos in the House. Many of Adams' colleagues expressed their anger and shock.
Many attacked the former president personally. A congressman from Alabama, Dixon Hall Lewis, suggested that Adams should be punished. He said if Adams was not punished, all members from slaveholding states should leave. Many members offered suggestions and objections. Then, Congressman Waddy Thompson suggested punishing Adams formally. He wanted Adams to be brought before the Speaker and reprimanded.
The proposal to punish Adams said he had committed "an outrage" by trying to present a petition from slaves. It said he had shown "contempt" for the House. It also claimed he was encouraging slaves to rebel.
Adams responded calmly. He pointed out that he had not actually presented the petition. He had only asked for a ruling on whether such a petition was allowed. He also corrected them on another point. He said the petition was not asking to end slavery. In fact, it was asking for the opposite! This made the House members even angrier. They thought Adams was trying to trick them.
Many historians believe that while Adams' colleagues were angry at his clever tactics, the real issue was his suggestion. He had suggested that a petition from slaves, no matter its content, could be considered valid.
For several days, many House members publicly criticized Adams. But not all thought he should be punished. Even two representatives from slaveholding states said that punishing Adams could be seen as an attack on free speech. Many northern congressmen said the same. But few defended Adams completely. Only two congressmen from Massachusetts, Caleb Cushing and Levi Lincoln, strongly defended Adams during the debate.
There is still debate about where the petition from the slaves came from. Some think Adams or his friends made it up to start the debate. Others believe the signatures were real but forced. One person at the time claimed it was a trick by Adams' enemies. They wanted to make him look foolish by having him present a petition asking for his own removal by mistake.
No matter where the petition came from, Adams used his right to defend himself. He gave speeches for days, both prepared and unplanned. He spoke against slavery and for its end. Adams even suggested that the United States should break up. He said staying together would mean supporting slavery and the views of slaveholders. To make his point, he presented another petition that actually called for the Union to dissolve. This angered his colleagues again. They now thought he should be punished not just for trickery, but for treason. As others attacked him, Adams continued to debate the evils of slavery.
Adams had cleverly gotten around the gag rule. He debated slavery on the House floor during the times he was allowed to speak in his own defense. He also questioned why the House would limit its own ability to debate and solve issues. He forced his colleagues to think about the example they were setting. What would it mean if members could be punished for speaking in the House?
On February 8, 1837, the House of Representatives voted to set aside the motion to punish Representative Adams. No other motions against Adams on this issue were accepted. So, the former President was not punished by the House. Years later, there would be another attempt to punish Adams, but that would be for political reasons.
Even though the move to punish Adams over the slavery petition failed, the House did address petitions from enslaved people. Adams argued again that the right to petition was a universal right. He said it allowed those in the weakest positions to seek help from those in power. Despite Adams' strong defense, the House decided almost unanimously that the right to petition applied only to free white people. Even the northerners who defended Adams supported this.
Two resolutions were passed at the end of this debate:
- Resolved, that this House cannot receive the said petition without disregarding its own dignity, the rights of a large class of citizens of the South and West, and the constitution of the United States.
- Resolved, That slaves do not possess the right of petition secured to the people of the United States by the constitution.
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