This undated lithograph of the second American President, John Adams, remains an essential piece of United States history and the development of the nation in its earliest years. Inaugurated in 1797 following two terms as Vice President under George Washington, Adams had been a vocal critic of British colonial rule and a prominent lawyer and politician in Boston before the outbreak of the American Revolution. As one of the Founding Fathers, Adams worked closely with Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776. During the American Revolution, Adams served as a Diplomat in Europe, and he was the sole author of the Constitution of Massachusetts, which influenced the American Constitution.Among Adams' most committed beliefs was the right to counsel as well as the presumption of innocence and a fair trial with a jury of peers. This portrait was created by artist Gilbert Stuart who produced numerous depictions of the early presidents, which created a precedent that remains an enduring part of American political history to this day. As the President of the United States, Adams was the first to reside in the White House. Adams' son John Quincy Adams would go on to serve as the sixth Commander in Chief.This print bears a distinctive style and classic aesthetic that transports the viewer back in time and creates a link to the earliest leaders of the United States. Presidential portraits represent the leader's legacy and are displayed throughout the White House though they officially belong to the National Portrait Gallery.
