state under President James Monroe. In
that role Adams helped persuade Spain
to give control of Florida to the United
States. He also helped create the Monroe
Doctrine, a warning to European countries
not to extend their power in the
Western Hemisphere.
Presidency
In 1824 Adams was one of four candidates
for the presidency. Andrew Jackson
received the most electoral votes, followed
by Adams. No one had a majority
of the votes, however, so the House of
Representatives had to pick the winner.
The House chose Adams. He took office
in 1825.
The country prospered during Adams
presidency, but he was not a successful
leader. He wanted to create a national
university and expand the countrys
roads. However, Jacksons supporters in
Congress blocked most of Adams bills.
In the election of 1828 Adams lost to
Jackson.
Later Career and Death
Adams retired in 1829, but his retirement
was brief. In 1830 Massachusetts
elected him to the House of Representatives.
In Congress Adams argued against
the expansion of slavery. He also helped
start the Smithsonian Institution, which
today runs several museums inWashington,
D.C. Adams suffered a stroke in
1848 while speaking in the House. He
July 11, February 23,
1767 1803 1817 1824 1828 1831 1848
Adams is born
in Braintree
(now Quincy),
Massachusetts.
Adams is
elected to the
U.S. Senate.
President James
Monroe makes
Adams
secretary of
state.
Adams is
elected the
sixth president
of the United
States.
Adams loses
the presidential
election to
Andrew
Jackson.
Adams
enters the
U.S. House of
Representatives.
Adams dies in
Washington,
D.C.
T I M E L I N E
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Adams, John Quincy 25
died in the Capitol two days later, on
February 23, 1848.
#More to explore
Adams, John Jackson, Andrew
United States
Adams, Samuel
A strong attachment to the cause of
independence made Samuel Adams a
leader of the American Revolution. As a
politician and as a writer he stirred the
colonists against British rule.
Samuel Adams was born in Boston,
Massachusetts, on September 27, 1722.
His second cousin was John Adams, the
second president of the United States.
Sam graduated from Harvard College in
1740 and soon entered local politics.
In the 1760s Adams led protests against
the British, who ruled the colonies at the
time. He served in the Massachusetts
legislature from 1765 to 1774. In 1772
he helped organize a committee of correspondence.
This was a group that
coordinated anti-British activity.
Adams was among the first to call for
complete independence for the American
colonies. As a member of both Continental
Congresses, he said that
Americans must be ready to fight. In
1776 he signed the Declaration of Independence.
In 1794 Adams was elected
governor of Massachusetts. He died on
October 2, 1803.
#More to explore
Adams, John American Revolution
Continental Congress Declaration of
Independence
Adaptation
Plants and animals have special characteristics,
or traits, that help them survive
in their surroundings. They develop
these traits through a process called
adaptation.
Many animals have traits that help them
hide from other animals that want to
attack them. Some insects look like a
leaf or a twig. Deer are colored shades of
brown, like the trees in the forests where
they live. In both cases, these animals
become almost invisible to their predators,
or attackers, because they blend in
with their surroundings.
Other animals have features that help
them deal with some part of their surroundings.
Frogs, alligators, and hippopotamuses
all spend a great deal of time
in the water. They all have their eyes and
Samuel Adams nostrils near the top of the head. This
26 Adams, Samuel BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
means that the animal may remain
almost completely underwater and yet
be able to see and breathe.Water birds
have webbed feet to help them paddle in
the water. Cactus plants, which live in
dry places, can store a lot of water. A
cactus has thick skin and a waxy surface.
This keeps the plant from losing water
through evaporation.
Organisms with helpful traits tend to
thrive, to reproduce, and to pass those
traits on to their own offspring. Similar
organisms that do not have these traits
do not survive as well and do not have as
much chance to reproduce. Therefore
the helpful traits are passed on and eventually
become permanent. This process
is called natural selection. It is part of
the process of evolution.
#More to explore
Animal Evolution Plant
Addams, Jane
The social worker Jane Addams devoted
her life to helping the poor and promoting
world peace. She founded Hull
House to serve needy immigrants in
Chicago, Illinois. It was one of the first
agencies of its kind in North America.
Jane Addams was born on September 6,
1860, in Cedarville, Illinois. She gradu-
Many animals have developed features to help them survive in their habitat. Hippopotamuses
eyes and nostrils are on the top of the snout. This allows them to spend a lot of time
almost completely underwater. Ducks have webbed feet to help them swim. Walruses have
thick skin to protect against the cold.
Jane Addams
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Addams, Jane 27
ated from college in 1882 and then went
to Europe. In a poor section of London,
England, she visited Toynbee Hall. University
graduates lived there and worked
to improve life in the neighborhood. It
was known as the worlds first social
settlement. Addams took this idea back
to the United States.
In 1889 Addams and a classmate, Ellen
Gates Starr, rented a big house in Chicago.
They moved in and opened the
house to immigrants who were trying to
succeed in their new country. Addams
and Starr called their social settlement
Hull House after its builder, Charles
Hull. Hull House workers started a day
care center, a kindergarten, a gymnasium,
and an employment agency. They
taught many kinds of classes and even
set up a theater. All these programs
eventually filled 13 buildings.
Addams became involved in many social
causes. She worked to pass laws against
child labor, to protect workers rights,
and to win women the right to vote.
Addams believed that countries should
settle their disagreements peacefully. She
spoke out againstWorldWar I even
though her opinion made her less popular.
In 1931 she won a share of the
Nobel peace prize.
Addams lived at Hull House until her
death on May 21, 1935. The original
Hull mansion has been preserved as a
museum that honors her.
..More to explore
Chicago
Addis Ababa
Population
(2006 estimate)
2,973,000
Addis Ababa is the capital and largest
city of the East African country of
Ethiopia. It is situated on a plateau high
in the central mountains of Ethiopia.
Ethiopias government ministries and
houses of parliament are located in
Addis Ababa. The city also contains the
headquarters of the African Union.
Most of Ethiopias trade passes through
Addis Ababa. In the western part of the