George Washington Adams

George Washington Adams (April 12, 1801 – April 30, 1829) was the eldest son of John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States. He had a troubled life and died of apparent suicide at age 28.

Born in Berlin, the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, George Washington Adams was the eldest son of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, who was then serving as a diplomatic representative of the United States, and his English-born wife Louisa Catherine Adams. He was named for the first president. His grandfather John Adams was the first Vice President of the United States and also the second President. He was born a month after his grandfather left office.

Adams graduated from Harvard University in the Class of 1821 and studied law. After briefly practicing as an attorney, he ran for state office. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1826 and served one year. In 1828, Adams served on the Boston City Council. He wrote a pamphlet "An Oration delivered at Quincy, on the Fifth of July, 1824."

He disappeared on April 30, 1829 while on board the steamship Benjamin Franklin in Long Island Sound during passage from Boston to Washington, D.C. He was last seen at about 2 A.M., and his hat and cloak were found on deck, leading to the conclusion that he had intentionally jumped. His body washed ashore on June 10. Adams had left notes hinting that he intended to kill himself, and earlier on the ship he had seemed delusional, asking the captain to return to shore, and declaring that the other passengers were conspiring against him. The consensus in news accounts of the time and among historians subsequently is that he committed suicide by drowning after he jumped from the Benjamin Franklin.

Adams had a troubled life. He was said to be predisposed to gloom and paranoia, a combination that would probably be classified as depressive illness.

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