America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick

by Bob Crawford

An accessible and entertaining biography of our nation’s greatest public servant and original political maverick John Quincy Adams, from the bassist of the Grammy-nominated band The Avett Brothers.

During the tumultuous period between the era of the Founding Fathers and the disunion of the Civil War, John Quincy Adams was the man standing in the breach. After an unsuccessful presidential re-election campaign, he was left reckoning with his political legacy. The United States’ tortured adolescence that was the years 1820–1850 would drag Adams back into the fray in ways he never expected, pitting him against the slavocracy and southern Congressmen, and solidifying him as a key ally to the anti-slavery cause.

America’s Founding Son argues that John Quincy Adams represented a crucial bridge between two eras as he helped force America to reckon with the disconnect between the promises of its founding documents—freedom and equality for all—and the stain of its original slavery. 

Bob Crawford, known to many as the bassist for The Avett Brothers, tells the tale of Adams’s turbulent government career and his evolving views on slavery through the lens of his relationship with two lesser-known abolitionists, Benjamin Lundy and Theodore Weld, and culminates in his advocacy for the anti-slavery cause and his historic 72-day takeover of the congressional floor. Together the three men found themselves at the center of the coalition that leveled the first blow against slave power in the United States. The battles they fought would be foundational to push for emancipation to follow. An entertaining deep dive into an under-explored period in American history, America’s Founding Son shows how John Quincy Adams and the grassroots activism of the 1830s and 40s shifted American politics forever.

Genres: Biography, History

352 pages, Hardcover

Published March 10, 2026

Reviews

[The History Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book by one of the members of a favorite band! Bob fell for John Quincy Adams much like I fell for Adams’ wife, Louisa, and I love when people follow their passions and write a book about them! Bob’s obvious admiration and respect for John Quincy Adams shines through as he discusses Adams’ work as an antislavery crusader in his later years as a member of the House of Representatives. Our country has much to be grateful for in his sacrifice and toil to make America a more perfect union. Bob delves into the political machinations of the era in a readable way, making even the most intricate policy understandable.

In this year of celebrating America’s 250th, I can’t think of a better way to commemorate the best our country has to offer than to highlight the life and work of John Quincy Adams (and his wife). He was a true statesman with principles, and he knew that America had yet to live up to its ideals. He wanted to make our country a better place, and he should be remembered for his success rather than his one-term presidency. I highly recommend reading this book to learn more about this founding son.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

[Chrissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but it is very dryly written. I relied on Wikipedia to understand what I was learning from this book. I would recommend this book to college history professors who specialize in early American history.

[C.M. Stenquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and well presented. A lesson for current leaders

[KarnagesMistress]

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. It is a Zando preview edition.

[Glenn Stenquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding, both myself and my wife read it, enjoyed it and discussed the book in detail.

[Holly Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting and informative non fiction. John Quincy Adams, led an intriguing political career, being a key ally in anti slavery, made him a unique character in American History, one I look forward to doing more research on in the future. This biography was structured well and easy to read.