Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams; 1825-1829

Born: 1775
Died: 1852

Born in London to a British mother and American father, Louisa Catherine Johnson grew up comfortably in the "Old World" of England and France. One of nine children, she attended convent schools, spoke fluent French, and was an accomplished harpist who loved music. At 20, she married John Quincy Adams, the 28-year-old son of America's Vice President then serving as a diplomat in London. John's peripatetic career took Louisa to Germany, Massachusetts, Russia, England and Washington, where she distinguished herself time and again as a skillful and popular hostess. It wasn't easy. She found New England rustic and lonely. In Russia, she was separated for seven years from two of her three sons since John insisted the boys remain in America with his parents. A daughter born in Russia died in 1812. And in the winter of 1814, during Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, Louisa, with only her young son and a few servants, rode 40 days by carriage from St. Petersburg to Paris where John was waiting.

Louisa helped John's Presidential campaign, hosting parties and paying calls, but she herself had no wish for the office and suffered depression during her White House years. Complaining in her diary of isolation and of the inferior status of women, Louisa nonetheless performed her social duties with grace, often presenting programs of music.

Sixth President
John Quincy Adams