Elections: John Quincy Adams

Quote of the Day:

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone . . ." - John Quincy Adams

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity" - John Quincy Adams

Day 7 VoCaBulary:

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act

booth

close

seniority

senator

congressman

issues

John Quincy Adams:

John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) was the sixth President of the USA, serving from 1825 to 1829. His Vice-President was John Calhoun. As President, Adams' political party was National Republican. John Quincy Adams' father, John Adams, was the second president of the United States.

John Quincy Adams was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on July 11, 1767. His father was a farmer. Adams graduated from Harvard University in 1787, and went on to become a lawyer in Boston, Massachusetts.

President James Madison appointed Adams as Minister to the Netherlands. In 1797, Adams married Louisa Catherine Johnson. They had three sons, and also a daughter who died in infancy. Adams was elected senator from Massachusetts in 1802. In 1808, Madison appointed Adams as Minister to Russia. Adams later helped negotiate the treaty that ended the War of 1812. Adams then became Madison's Secretary of State. He later negotiated the treaty with Canada that placed the US-Canadian border west of the Great Lakes at the 49th parallel. Adams soon negotiated with Spain, obtaining a treaty that returned Florida to the USA. Adams also helped draft the Monroe Doctrice, which stopped any future European colonization of North and South America.

Adams won the presidency in 1824, beating Andrew Jackson. Adams' term was a time of prosperity in the United States. Road and canal building were accelerated.

Adams lost the next presidential election. Adams then served in the House of Representatives until his death. In Congress, Adams fought against the gag rule that prevented the discussion of slavery in Congress.

Discovering Elections:

Whom did President Adams have to campaign against when he ran for president of the US? John Quincy Adams campaigned against Andrew Jackson.

What is the constitution of the United States and why is it important? Describe the Great Compromise. Was Thomas Jefferson a member of the Constitutional Convention? The Constitution of the United States is the cornerstone of our American government. In 4,543 words this document describes the structure or plan of the government and the rights of the American people. The Constitution is known as a "living document" because it can be amended. Since its ratification, it has only been changed 27 times. The Constitution is a strong document, more powerful than any branch of government or any state. At the same time, it is flexible enough to allow for freedom and changes in America.

The Constitution is organized into three parts:

• Preamble: Describes the purpose of the document and government.
• Articles: Establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are seven articles.
• Amendments: Changes to the Constitution; the first ten are called the Bill of Rights.

The Great Compromise was an agreement made among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention that the American government would have two houses in Congress: the Senate where each state has two Senators, and the House of Representatives where each state has a number of Representatives based on population.

The Great Compromise ended one of the most serious disagreements among the new states. Small states felt that all states were equal in stature and that if Congressional representation were based upon population, they would be outvoted on everything. Large states felt that populations should determine how many representatives a state should have, because they were afraid that they would be outvoted by the small states. This disagreement was preventing the Constitution from being adopted. In order to move forward on the Constitution, the states compromised and made Congress as a bicameral legislative body.

Without the Great Compromise, there might not be the Constitution or US Government as we know it today.

Thomas Jefferson did not participate in the Constitutional Convention, He was serving as ambassador to France at the time

How is our federal government organized? Name three main branches of the federal government and describe their responsibilities.  The Constitution provides for a seperation of powers, or three separate branches of government. Each has its own responsibilities and at the same time they work together to make the country run smoothly and to assure that the rights of citizens are not ignored or disallowed. This is done through checks and balances. A branch may use its powers to check the powers of the other two in order to maintain a balance of power among the three branches of government. The three branches of the U.S. Government are the legislative, executive, and judicial.

One branch does not have elected officials; how are its leaders chosen? The Executive branch i snot elected, they are appointed.

What is an American citizen? Why is it important for American citizens to vote? How does someone from another country become a citizen of the United States?  Persons born in the U.S. or to U.S. citizens in foreign countries are citizens of the United States. Persons born in other countries who want to become citizens must apply for and pass a citizenship test. Those who become citizens in this manner are naturalized citizens.

The most important right citizens have is the right to vote. By voting, the people have a voice in the government. The people decide who will represent them in the government. Before voting in an election, each citizen should be well informed about the issues and candidates.

How does an American run for president? What is the campaign process like and what are the major steps?  Under the terms of the United States Constitution, someone who wants to become the president of America must be a natural born United States citizen who is at least 35 years old and who has lived as a resident of the US for 14 years. These are the only legal requirements for the position, but many people have many expectations of presidential candidates which could be considered informal requirements. Additionally, anyone wanting to run for president must have access to very large sums of money, as a campaign costs a great deal of money.

The U.S. presidential election process is very long and complicated. It happens every four years and involves several candidates, thousands of volunteers and millions of campaign dollars. It is a process of attrition. Ambitious candidates announce they want to be the president then try to gather fudning and popular support. Those who fail drop out. Those who succeed move on to the state primaries and caucuses. Other candidates quit as the more popular ones win contests and raise more money. Each political party eventually nominates their champion to represent them in the general election. The winner of the electoral college becomes the next president.

How long is a term of the president of the United States? How many terms can he hold office? Can a president be removed from office and if so , describe the process. Have any American presidents been impeached?  US presidents are elected to a four-year term. In the United States, the legal limit is technically 10 years, not 8 as often but erroneously supposed. A President may serve as many as (but not more than) two years of a previous President's term and subsequently be elected to two full terms of his own. The president can be removed from office through a process informally called impeachment.

According to the Constitution, Article II, Section 4, "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives, but acquitted by the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached.