 John Adams was a hero of the American Revolution, but he was not a popular president. He was stubborn and he had a short temper. He also passed some unpopular laws. They made it harder for immigrants to vote, but easier to deport. Adams was a good diplomat, though. He avoided war with France, in part by building up the U.S. Navy. At the end of Adams' first term, his own vice president ran against him. The campaign between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson was one of the nastiest in U.S. history. Adams lost. But he and Jefferson did become friends again. They even died within hours of each other. On July 4th, 1826, the country's 50th birthday.