author
Josiah Quincy
1772–1864
A sharp-tongued Federalist who moved easily between politics and education, this early American leader helped shape both Boston and Harvard in the first half of the nineteenth century. His long public life stretched from the generation after the Revolution to the era of the Civil War.
1 Audiobook
Memoir of the Life of John Quincy Adams.
by Josiah Quincy
About the author
Born in Massachusetts in 1772, he graduated from Harvard, studied law, and entered public life as a leading Federalist. He served in the Massachusetts legislature and then in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1805 to 1813, where he became known for outspoken opposition to the policies of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
He later turned to city leadership and higher education. As mayor of Boston from 1823 to 1828, he backed major civic improvements and helped modernize the growing city; Quincy Market still carries his name. In 1829 he became president of Harvard, serving until 1845 and guiding the college through a period of reform and expansion.
Remembered for his forceful style and long career, he connected several worlds at once: national politics, Boston civic life, and American education. His life, which ended in 1864, offers a vivid window into the ideals and arguments of the early republic and antebellum New England.