Adams National Historical Park

Abigail Adams

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams and the Amistad Event

There were many Germans in the Mohawk Valley of NY, as well as apple trees. So this is a dish that could’ve very easily found its way to a holiday table of one of the many families living along the Mohawk River in the 18th Century.

Trees shade us from the sun, provide homes for wildlife, stabilize Earth’s surface, and produce food for humans and animals alike. Some are massive, and others are miniscule by comparison, but what makes one better than the other—we’ll let you decide! Check out our iconic trees below and find your favorite!

After the Boston Massacre, Bostonians called for justice for the victims. While the soldiers and their captain were arrested and jailed, all doubted whether the soldiers would be given a fair trial. Loyalists feared that colonists would want vengeance; colonists feared that loyalists would arrange for charges to be dismissed. As one of the soldiers' lawyers, John Adams demonstrated how fair and just trials could be held in the American colonies, even during a time of tension.

Visitors to the Old House at Peace field were greeted by a field of daffodils this spring thanks to your entrance fee dollars.

Adams National Historical Park hosted the third annual Farm to School: Picnic in the Park event. Farm to School is a Quincy Public Schools initiative that encourages healthy living in youth, connects youth to their environment, offers more locally sourced food in schools, and gets kids outdoors. Students and families participated in a wide variety of activities throughout the day, all designed to reflect the agricultural heritage of John and Abigail Adams’s farm.

You've heard of #FatBearWeek...now get ready for #FatBookWeek! In honor of the 10,000+ books in the Longfellow family collection, we called on other literary-minded sites to submit the fattest book in their museum collections for a tournament-style bracket of 10 heavyweight tomes. Check out the bracket, then visit @LONGNPS on Instagram each morning from October 6-12 to vote for your favorite bulky book!

John Quincy Adams had an impressive resume even before he became President of the United States. He started as a lawyer and a political commentator and was a diplomat to important European countries such as Russia and Great Britain. He even served as a U.S. Senator from 1803 to 1808. Yet, an important role that Adams held, which pushed him toward the presidency, was serving as Secretary of State in President James Monroe's cabinet.

Future president John Quincy Adams remained unconvinced that America had gained anything by fighting the War of 1812. Writing privately to his father in 1816, he grumbled that many Americans were “rather more proud than they have reason [to be]...”