The first of these four John Adamses (plain John Adams, 1735–1826) was the first US vice president, serving under George Washington throughout the latter's term in office (1789–97).
The presidential election of 1796, when Washington chose not to stand for a third term, was the first to be contested. Votes were cast for no fewer than thirteen candidates, including John Adams's second cousin, Samuel Adams. I cannot say, however, how many of these were seriously interested in being President; one of them was Washington, for whom two electors voted despite his having not campaigned and not being formally affiliated with either of the two active parties. John Adams – one of eight Federalist Party 'candidates' – won the election with 71 Electoral College votes. The runner–up was Thomas Jefferson (one of four Democratic–Republican candidates), with 68 votes; according to the rules in force at the time, Adams was declared President with Jefferson as his vice–president. It was the only time in US history that the President and Vice President have represented different parties.
Four years later, Jefferson won 73 Electoral College votes and his fellow Democratic–Republican, Aaron Burr, also won 73. Jefferson became President, and Burr Vice President. Adams, who came third with 65 votes, retired to his home town of Quincy, Massachusetts (now a suburb of Boston). By a remarkable coincidence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the day, in the year 1826 – and what's more it was the Fourth of July.
John Adams's eldest son, John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) served as the sixth President, from 1825 to 1829. He was not simply named after his birthplace; the town of Quincy was named after the British army officer 'Colonel' John Quincy (1689–1767 – in reality only a major), and Abigail Adams (née Smith – wife of the first John Adams, and mother of John Quincy) was his grand–daughter.
The composer John Coolidge Adams (born in 1947) is best known for his opera Nixon in China, first performed in 1982. (That's three former president references, right there – or four, if you count both John Adamses!) John C. Adams won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for On the Transmigration of Souls – a piece for orchestra and chorus commemorating the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
The music of John Luther Adams (born in 1953) is inspired by nature – especially the landscapes of Alaska, where he lived from 1978 to 2014. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for the orchestral work Become Ocean.
© Haydn Thompson 2021