Happy Birthday, John Quincy!!!!

John Quincy Adams was born on this date in 1767. On his 69th birthday, Adams wrote in his Journal:

With praise and prayer to God and a solemn sense of my earthly condition, and hopes of a better world, I enter on the seventieth year of my pilgrimage. Benjamin Lundy came this morning and in a conversation of about two hours, made me acquainted with his principles, prospects and purposes relative to Slavery. He was heretofore the Editor of the Genius of Universal Emancipation, and has now the intention of commencing the publication of a newspaper devoted like that to the extinguishment of Slavery - a cause which within the last two or three years has fallen into great discouragement. [?] political assistance from me, for the matter of his proposed publication but I thought best not to give him expectation of it. 

Lundy was a prominent - and courageous - abolitionist. Adams corresponded with him regarding the  war of independence and the annexation of Texas. More of this in a later post.

Introduction

The title and theme of this blog is drawn from William Lee Miller's wonderful book Arguing About Slavery. Using Adams' journal - which is now available online - and other sources, we will try to tell the story of John Quincy Adam's struggle with the slave power.