John Quincy Adams: Difference between revisions

In mid-November 1846, the 78-year-old former president suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. After a few months of rest, he made a full recovery and resumed his duties in Congress. When Adams entered the House chamber on February 13, 1848, everyone "stood up and applauded."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/g06.htm |title=President John Q. Adams : Health & Medical History |publisher=Doctorzebra.com |date= |accessdate=February 8, 2014}}</ref>

On February 21, 1848, the House of Representatives was discussing the matter of honoring U.S. Army officers who served in the Mexican–American War. Adams had been a vehement critic of the war, and as Congressmen rose up to say, "Aye!" in favor of the measure, he instead yelled, "No!"<ref name="parker-1848">{{cite book|last=Parker|first=Theodore|title=A discourse occasioned by the death of John Quincy Adams|publisher=Published by [[Bela Marsh]], 25 Cornhill|location=Boston|year=1848|page=[https://archive.org/details/discourseoccasio00park/page/26 26]|oclc=6354870|url=https://archive.org/details/discourseoccasio00park|accessdate=August 2, 2009}}</ref> He rose to answer a question put forth by Speaker of the House [[Robert Charles Winthrop]].<ref name="donaldson">{{cite book | first = Norman and Betty | last = Donaldson | title = How Did They Die? | year = 1980 | publisher = Greenwich House | isbn = 0-517-40302-1 }}</ref> Immediately thereafter, Adams collapsed, having suffered a massive [[cerebral hemorrhage]].<ref name="widmer-2008">{{cite book|last=Widmer|first=Edward L.|title=Ark of the liberties: America and the world|publisher=Hill and Wang|location=New York|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/arkoflibertiesam00widm/page/n149 120]|isbn=978-0-8090-2735-4|oclc=191882004|url=https://archive.org/details/arkoflibertiesam00widm|url-access=registration|accessdate=August 2, 2009}}</ref> Two days later, on February 23, he died at 7:20&nbsp;p.m. with his wife at his side in the Speaker's Room inside the [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]] in Washington, D.C.; his only living child, Charles Francis, did not arrive in time to see his father alive. His last words were "This is the last of earth. I am content."<ref name="donaldson" /> Among those present for his death was [[Abraham Lincoln]], who was a freshman Representative from Illinois.<ref>James Traub, John Quincy Adams: Military Spirit</ref>