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Massachusetts State Seal
Commonwealth Museum   Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth Museum Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin

Virtual Tour Detail

The Man Behind the Words - John Adams

"This Illustrious Patriot"

Painting of John AdamsJon Adams–lawyer, farmer, founding father, statesman, vice-president, and second president of the United States–was born in Braintree, Massachusetts. A man of integrity and intense patriotism, Adams was also one of the foremost political thinkers of his, or any other age. He was central to achieving America's independence, and his ideas on checks and balances remain the core of the American system of government.