John Adams Born: Founding Father and Second President
John Adams defended the British soldiers responsible for the Boston Massacre because he believed the rule of law required it. Six of the eight were acquitted. His clients were the political enemies of his cause. He did it anyway, and later called it the most principled act of his legal career. He became the second President of the United States and spent his presidency trying to keep the country out of a war with France. He and Jefferson died on the same day — July 4, 1826 — fifty years after the Declaration of Independence.
October 30, 1735
291 years ago
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