Final answer:
John Adams wanted to change American infrastructure by implementing the American System, which included internal improvements like roads and canals, but faced opposition from Congress.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Adams was a proponent of what was known as the American System, an economic plan devised by Secretary of State Henry Clay that focused on internal transportation improvements, such as the construction of roads and canals. Adams and Clay envisioned these projects as a means to facilitate commerce, develop markets for agriculture, and advance settlement in the West. Despite some opposition in Congress, who felt that the federal government did not have the constitutional power to fund such projects, Adams succeeded in extending the Cumberland Road into Ohio and broke ground for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. However, Adams's broader plans for national development, including the creation of a national university and a national astronomical observatory, were never enacted due to a lack of political support in Congress, which favored a smaller federal government following the trend set by voters in the recent election.