Charles Adams

Charles Adams was the second son of President John Adams and his wife, Abigail Adams (née Smith).

At the age of nine, he traveled with his father and older brother, John Quincy, to Europe, studying in Passy, Amsterdam, and Leiden. He matriculated in Leiden on January 29, 1781.

In December 1781, Charles returned to America unaccompanied by family members. After graduating from Harvard College in 1789, he moved to New York City, where plans had been made for him to work in the legal office of Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was named Secretary of the Treasury and Adams moved to the law office of John Laurance to continue his studies. Adams passed the bar examination in 1792.

On August 29, 1795, Adams married Sarah "Sally" Smith (1769–1828), the sister of his brother-in-law, William Stephens Smith. They had two daughters, Susanna Boylston (1796–1884) and Abigail Louisa Smith (1798–1836). Abigail married the banker and philosopher Alexander Bryan Johnson and their son, Alexander Smith Johnson, became a judge. At the age of 37, Abigail Louisa died of uterine cancer.

Adams was an alcoholic who engaged in extramarital relationships and made questionable financial decisions. He was disowned by his father and sometimes lived apart from his family.

It is a common myth that Adams died on November 30, 1800 of cirrhosis, a disease often caused by alcoholism. In a letter from Abigail to John Quincy after his death she stated Adams died in New York City of "dropsy of the chest" or Pleurisy. Pleurisy can be caused by a multitude of respiratory diseases, such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and even cancer. He was the first child of a president to die while the president was in office.