Episode 47 — John Quincy Adams: Duty Before Popularity

pplpod Episode 47 follows John Quincy Adams from precocious diplomat-in-training to sixth President, then the rare statesman who did his finest work after the White House. We trace his youth alongside his father on missions to Europe, the Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812, and a powerhouse run as Monroe’s Secretary of State—Florida secured via Adams–Onís, and the Monroe Doctrine shaped by his pen. In office, we unpack his ambitious (and unpopular) agenda for national roads, canals, science, and the arts amid the “corrupt bargain” backlash and a country tilting toward Jacksonian politics. Then the late bloom: “Old Man Eloquent” in the House, battling the gag rule, defending the Amistad captives, and proving that conscience can outlast career. Vision, cost, and a legacy that measures success by service, not applause.