John Quincy Adams

Full Name: John Quincy Adams
Born: July 11, 1767 in MA
Died February 23, 1848
Presidential Term: 6 (March 4, 1825 - March 4, 1829)

1 Appointment to the Supreme Court by President John Quincy Adams

Adams National Historic Site, Quincy, MA 02269
United First Parish Church, Quincy, MA 02169

03/09/1841: The Supreme Court ruled that the slaves who rebelled and killed their owners aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad were in fact "unlawfully kidnapped, and forcibly and wrongfully carried on board". The decision freed the slaves who were on trial for murder. The main finding of the court was that the ownership of the slaves was in question. Since they were not "owned" yet by a slave owner, that means they were individuals who had basic rights violated. The 35 free Africans went back to Africa the following year. Former President John Quincy Adams co-represented the Africans, giving an 8 and a half hour speech to the Court.
04/08/1935: Congress approved the Works Progress Administration (WPA) created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in an effort to relieve the economic hardship of the Great Depression. The program employed over 8.5 million before it was dissolved in 1943.