On March 4, 1801, John Adams rose before dawn. It was his last day as president, and he was leaving Washington in defeat. Adams had no intention of staying for the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson ...

Three have: John Adams in 1801, John Quincy Adams in 1829 and Andrew Johnson in 1869. The first Adams left the capital early the morning of the inauguration, and never indicated why. The second ...

Four years later, like his father, he lost reelection; like his father, he failed to attend his successor’s inauguration. However, John Quincy Adams, unlike his father, enjoyed a second act in ...

Joseph J. Ellis is the author, most recently, of “The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents.” ...

Four years later, like his father, he lost reelection; like his father, he failed to attend his successor’s inauguration. However, John Quincy Adams, unlike his father, enjoyed a second act in ...