Author Biography: John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams was born into slavery in Frederick County Virginal in 1845. Both John’s mother, father and siblings were all slaves and together they all belonged to the Calomese family of Winchester Va.  John’s mother was 17 years old when she married her husband (John’s father) who at the time was 18 years old. Together John’s mother and father had 25 children, 15 boys and 10 girls. There were 4 pairs of twins John being one of the pairs. Growing up, John’s parents used to tell their children that there would come a time where they would no longer be enslaved. They instilled many valuable lessons into their children as well as instilling them with faith in God that he would watch over them in whatever they did and that he would bring them out of the bonds of slavery. As a child John always wanted to be able to read and write just like his father. He would stand nearby and listen to his masters reading and saying there lessons and take what he had learned back to his parents. His parents would tell him to keep listening because they wanted him to learn how to read and write as well. During John’s childhood he was very close to his twin brother Aaron. They were inseparable and were never satisfied if they were not together. They were so close that if Aaron was sick John was sick also and visa versa. A turning point in John’s life that really took a big toll on him was when his brother Aaron and his sister Sallie were sold away from the family. John was affected greatly not only because his part of his family were gone but also because his twin brother was his other half. Being away from his bother made John want to die just to get rid of all the sorrow and distress. John’s Parents were said to be different than all the other parents because they were hard on them. They were not allowed to drink as children or smoke and John was very grateful that his parents did not allow this.