John Adams died on July 4, 1826 – the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence – hours after Jefferson's death. Adams and his son are the only presidents of the first twelve who never owned slaves. Surveys of historians and scholars have favorably ranked his administration.

Early life and education
Further information: Adams political family
Adams's birthplace now in Quincy, Massachusetts
John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 (October 19, 1735, Old Style, Julian calendar), to John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston. He had two younger brothers: Peter (1738–1823) and Elihu (1741–1775).[5] Adams was born on the family farm in Braintree, Massachusetts.[6][b] His mother was from a leading medical family of present-day Brookline, Massachusetts. His father was a deacon in the Congregational Church, a farmer, a cordwainer, and a lieutenant in the militia.[7] Adams often praised his father and recalled their close relationship.[8] Adams's great-great-grandfather Henry Adams immigrated to Massachusetts from Braintree, Essex, England, around 1638.[7]
Adams's formal education began at age six at a dame school for boys and girls, conducted at a teacher's home, and was centered upon The New England Primer. 