John Adams was born on October 19, 1735, in Braintree, Massachusetts, to a farming family as were many New Englanders in his day, considering that many of the residents of Braintree were farmers, and like many New England farms, the one John grew up on had been in his family for a few generations. The Adams house was a typical small farmhouse on 2 levels, an upper floor consisting of 2 bedrooms and the lower floor consisting of a kitchen and a living room with fireplace. The Adamses were a deeply religious family as John's father was a deacon in the local church they attended and also worked as a shoemaker to provide for his wife and children. John's father had married later in life as his parents were in their 40s when he was born. John was the three oldest children and spent time with his brothers helping with the farm work, even playing outside as many children did in those days. John was also fond of fishing and hunting as were all country boys in his day, although he was considered a good student at school, they taught him philosophy, mathematics, reading, writing, Latin and science, he often skipped school and went to fishing or hunting. John liked to go into the thick brush of the New England woods hoping to catch a squirrel or rabbit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay John's father was often very strict with him about his schooling, as much as John loved life as a farmer. His father hoped that he would grow up to be a man with a more prestigious occupation such as a priest. John's father worked him very hard on their farm to show him exactly what it meant to be a farmer and to prove his point to John. This work involved getting up before dawn, going out to cut firewood in the deep wooded region surrounding their properties, harvesting and planting crops, feeding the animals, re-shoeing the horses and returning home only at sunset. At the end of a hard day's work on the farm, John's father would ask him "How did you like that hard work today, son?" John replied in a tired tone: "I like it very much, father!" then his father would reply, "Well, I don't like doing this at all, but I have to do it to provide for the family and you'll still go to school, you know!" To make sure that John received a good education and no longer skipped school whenever he felt like it, John's father asked his former pastor, a man named Rev. Joseph Marsh, to tutor John, and John responded quickly to this change despite how strict his new teacher was, after 18 months under the tutelage of Rev. Marsh, John was deemed ready to apply for admission to Harvard University at the age of 15 as this was normal for teenage boys to be a freshman in a university in this time period. Harvard University was known as regimented in this time period where few people, men or women, attended college. John was a lucky young man to have been accepted into Harvard as most kids who got into prestigious universities in his day usually came from more aristocratic backgrounds and one or two families also attended Harvard, which was practically nepotism for their children be accepted to University. John found his social life at Harvard enjoyable despite the rigorous preparation of his studies and the fact that he did not come from an aristocratic background like the other students.Many of the changes he faced while at Harvard matured him very quickly and positively. In 1755 John Adams was in his senior year at Harvard and had not yet decided on a career. His father had always hoped that he would grow up to be a priest, however, John did not feel that this was the right path for him, despite his strict Christian upbringing and piety, John also knew that his short-tempered ways would not be suited to preaching from a pulpit, John also valued his independence, something he would not have achieved much as a priest. The New England region was in a period of enlightenment at this time as many students at universities such as Harvard were attracted to careers in medicine and law, although clergymen were still seen as highly regarded individuals. Toward the end of his senior year at Harvard John considered becoming a lawyer because, unlike a priest, he wouldn't have to worry about working so hard to please everyone. John's father, who was a deacon, often viewed lawyers as people who were more involved with themselves and less with their clients. Although he was interested in a career as a lawyer, John sometimes found himself troubled by his reasons for wanting to do so. this profession first and foremost. John had a greed for wanting to be recognized and famous, some of these traits agreed with his religious upbringing. Meanwhile, after graduating from Harvard, John was offered a job teaching Latin at the Worcester Grammar School, which was located west of Boston. John saw this job as only a fleeting task until he figured out whether he really wanted to become a lawyer or follow his father's dream of becoming a priest. John felt unhappy with his current living situation. Worcester was not as large as Boston and did not offer many social opportunities as he really enjoyed the social life of the Harvard campus. Eventually John began to become the irascible and stern schoolmaster like the ones he had to deal with as a child, dealing with the daily babble of students barely able to pronounce the alphabet in lisp-like voices and having to teach them correctly. pronunciation of syllables. of words or vowels. Ultimately, John would consider his pupils boring, ignorant and lazy without any motivation. The boring lifestyle of Worcester was reduced to only social leaders as friendly, John was often invited into the homes of the city's most prominent residents for tea or meals, socializing with them about current events in the Boston region. The boring lifestyle of Worcester was reduced to only social leaders as friendly, John was often invited into the homes of the city's most prominent residents for tea or meals, socializing with them about current events in the Boston region. was still of little interest to John, the medical field according to him would have meant a lot of incessant work for little income and meager recognition. For John, the Braintree legal field was also suspicious of lawyers, seeing them as people who caused more problems than they solved and who enriched themselves at the expense of the poverty of others. A career as a lawyer would offer John more glamorous opportunities, such as a path to the highest offices of state. John found it difficult not to want to displease his father, as many residents of his hometown viewed lawyers just as negatively as his father. John was about to begin his second year as headmaster at Worcester Grammar School, when he finally decided that he could no longer put off his decision to study law. John was anxious to move on with his life and resolve his predicament, John even wondered if he wouldcould have done well in his law studies or in debating before a jury. John hesitated to the end with these questions in mind, so in the summer of 1756 John got in touch with a man named James Putnam who was the chief lawyer in the city of Worcester to begin an apprenticeship in the legal field, despite not wanting to be a priest, he nevertheless kept his religious ethics with him as he vowed never to act unjustly in court once he finally became a lawyer as John believed that the practice of law did not dissolve any obligation or morality of religion. James Putnam offered to let John study with him, John left his job as a schoolteacher at the Worcester Elementary School and moved into James Putnam's house, paying him the money he had saved from his job at the school to pay for the accommodation and tuition by James Putnam. The original New England settlers who arrived a century earlier had no lawyers. However, when positive views of the British Commonwealth and love for it rapidly declined along with arguments, or when lack of trust came into play. Then the legal profession was born to handle any dispute between the colonies. John himself often argued that the purpose of an American working as a lawyer would be to defend a nation whose rights had been desecrated. It was from these past experiences in New England that John brought his religious idealism to his chosen profession. John found that he was cut out for the law profession as he enjoyed the dramatic events of what happened in a courtroom while studying with James Putnam. By 1761 John Adams had finished his studies under James Putnam and had been admitted to the bar by the chief court of the Massachusetts colony, and after completing his legal studies he returned to his hometown of Braintree to open a small office, in which he would handle deeds, property taxes and popular wills. Whenever John was in court, he often faced cases involving sexual assault, defamation, bastardization, John even ended up leading an anti-pub protest whenever patrons got into fights outside and inside pubs. Eventually John succeeded in obtaining an ordinance to restrict the licensing of these pubs. There was another lawyer in the area who John came to admire greatly, his name was James Otis, who took part in a case involving Boston merchants who were rebelling against their ships being broken into and stolen from. the load. the people who had carried out this smuggling of goods onto the ships were British customs officials who had actions authorized by the Acts of Assistance provided by the British Crown. Otis gave a speech during the trial that John took to heart, even though this case was a small matter of protecting these traffickers. This gave John a good impression of the limits that British authority in the colonies should have. In 1767 the British Parliament introduced new legislation that would impose tariffs on products imported into the American colonies. This new legislation insisted that taxes on these products were too external rather than internal in the way they were involved in foreign trade. John opposed any kind of taxation without consent and representation, as the British parliament was discussing among its members the new laws that were yet to come into force on this legislation, so the British sent more troops to the American colonies. to enforce the laws on these new taxes and stop all citizens who dared to oppose them. Many American colonists would have dared to taunt these British troops, daring them to use firearms againstof them after a boy was shot dead by a British soldier. His funeral inspired more youths to throw stones at these British soldiers. A crowd of people shouted "KILL THEM" and suddenly the gunfire started, leaving 3 men dead and 8 wounded. Among the 3 who were killed was a mulatto named Crispus Attucks who had joined the Caucasian settlers to lure troops to fight. Crispus Attucks was then known as the first African American to fight for freedom. Captain Thomas Preston, the commanding officer who ordered those shots to be fired, was arrested and delivered to the Boston Main Courthouse to stand trial for the "Boston Massacre." British Army officers triumphed over John Adams to represent Captain Preston in court. John accepted the offer, as he believed that everyone had the right to a fair trial, regardless of whether they were innocent or not guilty, native or foreigner etc., as his Puritan upbringing influenced his ethics as a lawyer. John believed that a lawyer should hold himself accountable not only to his country but also to the highest and most infallible committees in the role in which he was to act. Needless to say, the citizens of Boston could not understand why John would offer to represent a man like Captain Preston and whether John was truly dedicated to the love of the colonies. John and another lawyer named Josiah Quincy were both producing witnesses on behalf of Captain Preston who testified that Captain Preston and his men had been intimidated and fired their muskets at those civilians. John resorted to a dramatic tactic involving racial profiling, which reminded the jury that among those killed were mulattoes and blacks, Irish teagues, in other words low-class people, that these British troops had confronted the boy Attucks who had the look that would horrify anyone. John also made a strong statement on a self-defense case. By June 6, 1767, local elections were held in the city of Boston as a position for the chief court was now available. It was customary for candidates to do nothing on their own when running for office. John Adams received 418-536 votes in the election for the court position. It seemed that the good citizens of Boston had come to terms with the realization that John Adams was the kind of man needed to be part of the justice system since he was not. play favorites with anyone. John had resolved to avoid meddling in public affairs and had found himself satisfied with a bold profession which was sentimentally patriotic mixed with ignorance of any slavishly active participation which he was often naturally encouraged and persuaded to assume. John had devoted himself with constant and almost incompatible patience to the practice of his occupation. John recognized that no object was superior to that and that he had always grasped the success of his successes. John had been practicing law for a while now and had more business with the Massachusetts State Bar than any other man in the region. John believed that admission to a public career such as his would deprive him of the fruits of his labor, that he would be exposed to any anxiety or complications regarding personal danger to himself, his family, or even end in poverty. Johns later recalled his emotions when he assumed this position as very pathetic. However, John solemnly with a feeling of strong self-denial to his duties, along with a feeling of dark foreboding. John submitted to undertake apublic career which in the impenetrable future would prove burdened with such lavish rewards for his courageous nobility and intellectual discrepancy. For John it was this first infiltration into the realm of public life that began to grip him with a powerful grip that fortunately for him did not last long. A few months after being elected to his new position, John's anxiety got the better of him and he began experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath. Luckily for John it was nothing serious, but unfortunately this health issue forced him to resign from his position. John had been sitting in his office chair in an immobile state for a while, then when he recovered, he stumbled out of his office and staggered down the hall towards the stairs towards his wife with a pale complexion on his face telling her that he couldn't bear to stay in town much longer in his condition and she agreed. In the spring of 1771 John decided to return to his hometown of Braintree after his term as a court official expired, and even though John decided to return to his hometown of Braintree; he still considered Boston residents pleasant and grateful for his service to the city. John even wished he still had the power to do anything he wanted, hoping that God would allow him to do it again one day. But John believed that his desires were inadequate, his efforts unproductive and catastrophic to himself. This health incident left John in a very sad state of mind, so much so that he sometimes fell into melancholy moods, as John enjoyed the thrill his position brought him. But it seemed that his hope in God was good after all as by the fall of 1772 John's health had recovered, and he came to the conclusion that he was still needed in the Massachusetts colony. So John returned to Boston and bought a house near the city courthouse. However, John promised himself not to get involved in the public affairs of the city or the colony, as he believed that his life, well-being, and family were too important to him, and he focused on making sacrifices for them. John felt that he had served his country and its citizens well and that this recovery from anxiety was a blessing not to be taken for granted. In 1774 the colonies were very tired of the tyranny being imposed on them by the British monarchy. John had enjoyed very little solitude since returning to Boston. John was again called upon to re-engage in public life as he had not yet escaped the issues he considered unpleasant. Nonetheless, John happily resumed practicing his profession and pursuing his personal interests, which were naturally close to the essence of a sharp and frugal man, trained in the entrepreneurial environment of New England as in the days of John Adams. John also had a wife and children to support and it was as important as his family was to him; John had yet to be active in the dark and dangerous political issues taking place in the colonies during the year. John was now 38 years old and still a relatively young man, who was well read in both public and private law, had a temperament that combined joyfully with boldness and prudence, John was also considered reliable, active and bursting with energy around front rows of his profession. By this year the population of all 13 colonies was the same as the city of London, England. The city of Paris had more than a million inhabitants, London had a million and a half, and Boston had about 15,000. The colonies were up in arms because everyone would rule them. Places like Connecticut were seen as quite democratic, New York was seen as aaristocratic people in terms of social structures. The upper class of the colonial population consisted of merchants, clergy, lawyers, doctors and all the officials who were appointed by the British monarchy. Even though there was a rivalry between these different groups of people. The colonial assemblies were the ones who owned most of the lands, they were in charge of directing trade, they sat in the courts of the colonies and controlled the credits since at that time there were no banks in the American colonies, so it was the colonial assemblies that established the rules for things. Middle-class colonies were places like Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas. The middle class which was made up of farmers, shopkeepers, carpenters, millers, printers, tailors, potters, tanners, shoemakers, sailors, fishermen, bricklayers and so on. But all of these colonies would send representatives to Philadelphia to meet on September 5, 1774. Among them were John Adams, Samuel Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, John Jay, Patrick Henry, James Madison, and General George Washington. Even though these men came from different social classes and occupations; they all seemed to agree that everyone in the colonies was almost fed up with the corruption of the British monarchy and wanted the colonies to govern themselves at their own federal and local levels. The British monarchy also allowed the colonies to make laws; it was up to the king to appoint the judges of these courts, and the only power the people of the colonies would have over these judges was being able to control their own revenues. As the Congressional meeting began to begin, all these men in their knee-breeches, powdered wigs with ponytails and black triangle hats, buckled shoes began to discuss among themselves how to deal with the tyranny of the British monarchy as they met all at Carpenter Hall in Philadelphia. It was in the east wing of the building that this meeting of the Congress was arranged. When the doors of the room opened and representatives of the colonies entered. Representatives found the room exuberant and well-lit by the morning sun. The walls had been painted a finely polished white, and the floor was made of dark stained wood panels, and finally there was a beautiful fireplace covered in white panels. The representatives began to take their seats in several rows of armchairs made of black-painted walnut. John sat between Samuel Adams and Thomas Cushing. It had been a while since John had been involved in something this big since the Boston Massacre trial, and after being called to take part in something bigger after recovering from an illness, as soon as he had escaped from tasks he had found dysfunctional in the past, Boston. John still remembered the promise he made to himself after becoming a lawyer to behave ethically even if it was for other people more than for himself, while he also remembered how many people in his hometown disliked lawyers. John had often been accustomed to being involved in town meetings even from his days as a schoolmaster. There was a very heated debate between fighting to go against the British monarchy or simply being humbly obedient to it, along with how each colony had its own problems, such as not being able to appoint their own court judges. While representatives of South Carolina pointed out that the laws passed by the legislature regarding Massachusetts Bay affected the entire North American continent. John stood up and asked the delegates how they would vote? Would it be with a vote in a colony or with a poll? Those who wanted.