SECOND UNITED STATES PRESIDENT
THE PURITAN
Henry Adams, a Puritan, in 1636, came with his wife from Barton St. David
in Somerset County, England to settle in America. He earned enough money to buy a farm ten miles south of Boston later called Braintree.
The third generation of Adams, still in Braintree was John Adams, the father
of our second president. He was a farmer, shoemaker, as well as deacon which is
an assistant minister of the Puritan Church nearby.
John was born to Deacon Adams on October 30, 1735. He lived a normal
colonial life.
THE STUDENT
Deacon Adams wanted John, just like his uncle, to graduate from Harvard
College in Cambridge, Massachusetts and continue on to be a minister. John had
other plans. He had studied in private school, then went to public school. His
teacher was Joseph Cleverly. He did not like him. John partially quit school
and his father then asked him what he would do for a living. He said he would
be a farmer, so his father took him to the farm one day and showed him how much
work it was.
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