John M. Adams (September 19, 1819-?) was an American lawyer, politicians, and journalist from

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

. He was the editor of the

Eastern Argus The Eastern Argus was a newspaper published in Portland, Maine, United States from 1803 to January 1921. In early 1921, it was succeeded by the Portland Press Herald. History The newspaper was founded by Calvin Day and Nathaniel Willis. Its ...

newspaper, a daily published in

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

Early life and education

Adams was born in the mountain town of

Rumford, Maine Rumford is a New England town, town in Oxford County, Maine, Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,858 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Rumford is home to both ND Paper Inc's Rumford Mill and the Black Mountain ...

in 1819. His father died when Adams was still young. He received instruction from a relative who had attended

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

, which inspired him to pursue higher education. He attended schools in

Turner, Maine Turner is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,817 at the 2020 census. The town includes the villages of Turner, Turner Center and North Turner. The town is part of the Lewiston- Auburn, Maine Metropolita ...

Bethel, Maine Bethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,504 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Bethel and West Bethel. The town is home to Gould Academy, a private preparatory school, and is near the Sun ...

, and

Bridgton Academy Bridgton Academy is an all-male college preparatory school, college preparatory in Bridgton, Maine. Founded in 1808, the school sits at the northern tip of Long Lake in North Bridgton, Maine. The school has been NEASC accredited since 1934, making ...

. He taught in Bethel for a year prior to leaving education to join a volunteer force organized to fight the

Aroostook War The Aroostook War (sometimes called the Pork and Beans WarLe Duc, Thomas (1947). The Maine Frontier and the Northeastern Boundary Controversy. ''The American Historical Review'' Vol. 53, No. 1 (Oct., 1947), pp. 30–41), or the Madawaska War, wa ...

with Britain over Maine's northeastern boundary with the British Empire. Adams and his fellow enlistees never saw action and did not travel north of the state capital of Augusta. His Bowdoin College-educated relative was hired as a teacher in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and invited Adams to join him in teaching there, which he did. He worked for two years in Maryland before returning to Maine following the death of his brother. Desiring to speak the French language fluently, he traveled northward and studied at St. Hyacinthe College in Quebec. While there, he boarded with the well-known Papineau family.

Politics

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, he also served in the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via p ...

for two single-year terms in 1877 and 1878. In his second term, he was a candidate for House Speaker and received all of the votes of his fellow Democrats. However, the Republican Party dominated government in the state during this period and he lost to Henry Lord of Bangor.

Journalism

In 1885, Adams was elected President of the

Maine Press Association Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

.Newspaper Men in Council,

Maine Farmer Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

(1844-1900); Feb 5, 1885, p.2

References

1819 births Year of death missing 19th-century American newspaper editors People from Rumford, Maine Writers from Portland, Maine Democratic Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Editors of Maine newspapers American expatriates in the British Empire {{Maine-politician-stub