The election of John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts
November 06, 1830
On this date, John Quincy Adams enthusiastically wrote, “I am a member elect of the Twenty Second Congress.” The November 1, 1830, election made Adams the first and only former President to be elected to the House of Representatives. Seeking a second term as President in the historic 1828 election, Adams suffered a disheartening loss to former Representative and Senator Andrew Jackson of Tennessee. Adams handily won election to the House to represent a district encompassing southeastern Massachusetts in the 22nd Congress (1831–1833). The elder statesman received nearly three-quarters of the vote in the three-way contest. Prior to the election, Adams reflected on his candidacy for the House in his journal, “no person could be degraded by serving the people as a Representative in Congress . . . [Nor] would an ex-President of the United States be degraded by serving as a selectman of his town, if elected thereto by the people.” Adams proudly served in the House of Representatives for nine terms until his death in the Capitol in 1848.
Related Highlight Subjects
Cite this Highlight
Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk, http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/highlights.html?action=view&intID=15, (November 23, 2009).For Additional Information
Office of History and Preservation(202) 226-1300
history@mail.house.gov
John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts thought his 17 years in the House to be the highlight of his lifetime of public service.
Image courtesy of Library of Congress
Teaching Tip
Picture It!
Have students choose two or three photographs from different highlight dates. Before reading the historical highlight entries, ask students to analyze the photographs and write a brief description for each one. Then read the highlights aloud and ask students to explain the connection between the photograph and the entry for that particular date.
