John Adams: America's Underrated President

“John Adams might be the most underrated U.S. president—and here’s why.”

Before becoming America’s second president, John Adams did something shocking: he defended

British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, because he believed everyone deserved

a fair trial—even his enemies. He later became the first president to live in the White

House, even though it was unfinished, freezing cold, and surrounded by

mud. Unlike many Founding Fathers, Adams never owned slaves and openly

opposed slavery. As president, he also stopped a war with France, even though it made

him deeply unpopular. His wife, Abigail Adams, was one of the earliest advocates for women’s