John Adams was a politician.
John Adams . He was a lawyer , diplomat , statesman , political theorist , and , as a Founding Father , a leader of the movement for American independence from Great Britain . Adams 's credentials as a revolutionary secured for him two terms as President George Washington 's vice president ( 1789 to 1797 ) and also his own election in 1796 as the second president . In his single term as president , he encountered fierce criticism from the Jeffersonian Republicans , as well as the dominant faction in his own Federalist Party , led by his rival Alexander Hamilton . The major accomplishment of his presidency was a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the face of Hamilton 's opposition . He was the first U.S. president to reside in the executive mansion , now known as the White House .