The worst part of the last year for Abigail Adams was the continued unsettlement of the presidential residency. Having moved in to the White House only in 1800, the Adamses found themselves surrounded by continual construction. Nonetheless, Abigail Adams was the first hostess of the White House.

John Adams was not re-elected. He was the victim of the schism in his own party, a division that spelled the party's downfall. He finished third in electoral votes, behind Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The last of Adams's important duties was the appointment of John Marshall as Chief Justice.

In political terms, Adams was relatively unknown after his electoral defeat. He retired to his home in nearby Quincy, Mass., and enjoyed his later years with his wife and his studies, among them philosophy and history. He also renewed his friendship with Jefferson after the latter had left the White House.

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