I had wrote you several posts before my hearing you was returned. I should be very glad if you and Mrs. Adams could take a turn this way before you return to Philadelphia again. I had lately a schooner arrived, with some powder, at Barnstable, rather better than three hundred pounds, which was disposed of there, as the people wanted it much. I understand that any person importing powder shall...
2John Adams to Abigail Adams, 18 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
You may well Suppose that I am not very easy when you are informed that We have no News from America, and that the definitive Treaty is neither Signed, or likely to be Signed very Soon. Mr. Hartley it is true is here and is well disposed to finish, with Liberality and with dispatch: but he must wait for orders at every Step, and his principals are either not firm in their Places or not decided...
En passant. As Church said in his letter to the Regulars, Remember I Never deceived you. If your Congress don’t give better encouragement to the Privates, than at present is held forth to them, You will have No Winter Army. There must be some small bounty given them on the inlistment. A Strange Mistaken Opinion Obtains among the Gentlemen of the Army from the Southward and if I mistake Not in...
4From Henry Laurens, with Appended Note of John Adams to Richard Cranch, 5 January 1778 (Adams Papers)
I had the honour of Addressing you on the 28th. November and 3d. Ultimo in Official Letters from Congress. My present business is to intreat your protection to the inclosed Packet from Baron Kalb which he intimates to me is intended to be of particular service to these States. You will be pleased either to take it under your immediate care if you intend within a few Weeks to embark for France...
I had Yesterday, the Honour of your Favour of the 28 Octr. inclosing a Resolution of Congress of the 22 of the same Month, to which I Shall give all the Attention in my Power. I have great Satisfaction in the Reflection, that I have hitherto endeavoured with much Sincerity, to conform to the Spirit of it. What you recommend to me, viz. to communicate to the Ministers of other Courts, Such...
6Dutch Translation of John Adams’ Draft of a Dutch-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce and Proposals for Revisions, 23 … (Adams Papers)
Een Tractaat Van Vriendschap en Commercie, tusschen haar Hoog Mogende, de Staaten Generaal (1) van de zeven vereenigde Nederlandsche Provincien, en de vereenigde Staaten (2) van America, te weeten New-Hampshire , (3) Massachu-setts, Rhode Island , Connecti-cutt, New-York, New-Jersey, Pensylvania , (4) Delaware, Mary-land, Virginia, Noord-Carolina, Znid-Carolina en Georgia . Haar Hoog Mogende...
7John Adams’ Reconstructed Draft and Translation of the Dutch Proposals, 23 April 1782; 22 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
A Treaty of Amity and Commerce between their High Mightinesses, the States General (1) of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands and the United States (2) of America, to wit, New Hampshire , (3) Massachusetts, Rhode Island , Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania , (4) Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia . Their High Mightinesses, the...
8To John Adams from Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., 5 April 1792 (Adams Papers)
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, from and after the third day of March, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, the House of Representatives shall be composed of one hundred and twenty members, elected within the several States according to the following apportionment; that is to say: Within...
9From John Adams to John Adams, 27 December 1797 (Adams Papers)
I nominate James Blake of Pensilvania to be Consul of the United States in the City of St. Domingo in the Island of St. Domingo. DNA : RG 46—Records of the U.S. Senate.
10From John Adams to John Adams, 30 September 1822 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for a pretty volume of Poetic effusions; for want of sight I have not read them, but in those which have been read to me, I perceive nothing inconsistent with morals, on the contrary, a social spirit of charity humanity, and benevolence, Of the Poetical merit I pretend not to be a critical judge. From your name I conjecture that you are a bee, from one of the six swarms , that...
11To John Adams from John Adams, 21 October 1822 (Adams Papers)
In compliance with your request in your condescending favr. of the 30th. Ulto. that I should transmit the Pedigree of my family. I applied to my Father, who had taken some pains to inform himself respecting his Ancestry—being incited thereto, very much by the important circumstance, that One of the name had risen to the highest honours of our Country; and others, to very distinguished honours...
12From John Adams to John Adams, 25 October 1822 (Adams Papers)
In the reign of Charles 1st of England, Henry Adams came to America from Devonshire and settled at Mount Wollaston with eight sons, one of whom returned to England. Four removed to Medfield, Medway, Bellingham and the neighbouring towns—two to Chelmsford Thomas and Samuel by name; Joseph only, my great grandfather, and the great grandfather of Samuel Adams of Boston, remained in this place...
13From John Adams to John Adams, 2 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have received two pretty Letters from you, and know not how to account for my own delay in answering either of them till this Time. That of the 21st of January is now before me, and is dated. Give my Love to your Brother, and tell him, he forgot to give any date to his. For your Comfort and Georges too, I can tell you, that you write as well as your Father did at your Age. But what a Writer...
14From John Adams to John Adams, April 1815 (Adams Papers)
I am much pleased with your Translation. The Character of Anacreon is one of the many Mysteries of Antiquity which the Researches of your whole Life will not be able to unridle. He did well to renounce the Heroes, for he either know nothing of the Sons of Atreus, of Cadmus the Theban King, or of Hercules and his twelve Labours; or if he knew any Thing, he dared not till what he know. It is...
15From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I adress myself to both of you as equally dear to me and because the difficulty with which I write, will not allow me to write seperately to each. Our anxiety for you and for your Father Mother, Brother, Uncle Aunt and little first and Second Cousin: have been greater than you can conceive. Some relief however We have received from Vessels you met at Sea, one of which brought a Letter from Mr...
16From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not where your Father is, or I should write directly to him. As Soon as you See him, pray to procure for himself and for you “Il Consulato del Mare” with all the Tanslations of it, into Dutch, German, Italian, French, English Spanish, and as many as there be. I have it only with a translation into Low Dutch. About 8 or 9 hundred Years ago, (I have neither time nor patience to look up...
17From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
Hence forward I Shall adress you all three at once. Yesterday was one of the happiest days of my Life. It brought me News of your Father and Mother at Paris and your Uncle Aunt and Cousin at New York all in good health. My Boys! I want to Say Something to you on the Subject of Languages. I have no great Opinion of those who boast of possessing a great number of them. If you know Greek and...
18From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not where your Father is, or I Should write directly to him. As Soon as you See him, pray him to procure for himself and for you “Il Consulato del Mare” with all the Tanslations of it, into Dutch, German, Italien, French, English Spanish, and as many as there be. I have it only with a translation into Low Dutch. About 8 or 9 hundred Years ago, (I have neither time nor patience to look...
19From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 1 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have received Letters from you all, and you know not how gratifying they have been to my heart. With pleasure I See the great Advantage you have already derived from the Advice of your Father. I have recd. four Letters from George N. 1. 2. 4 and 5. Number Three only is missing. George writes like the elder Brother he is. John writes with that Vivacity and Spirit which always delighted Us;...
20From John Adams to John Adams, 11 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
You cannot imagine, how much pleasure, your Letter of July 24th gave me. Your Father and Mother have improved Your hand in a few days, more than We were able to do, in as many Months. I enter So feelingly into the Spirit of your Amusements that I wish you had mentioned the names of the principal Dancers male and female at the Opera. I have been present at all those Scenes of life that you...
21From John Adams to John Adams, 3 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not whether you have read Tristram Shandy, or The Sentimental Journey or the Sermons or Epistles of Stearne. I was never an enthusiastic Admirer of him, though he was amusing enough Sometimes; moral now and then; pathetic once in a while but tedious often and always Odd. I See announced, a Publication of Dr John Ferriar, of Manchester under the Title of “Illustrations of Sterne, with...
22To John Adams from John Adams, 4 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
Ego recepi tua epistolam a te scriptam Vigesimo tribus mensis Julii. ubi nuntius te a bombardâ matutinâ expavi actum fuisse dicis quoque tibi propinationês plamusque nullo modo placeve et frateribus mihi qua valda placent. Discipulus sum in Schola Doctoris Nicholas, ad Ealing, ubi docenti Septuaginta quisque condiscipulos habeo—Magister noster Universitatis Oxonii alumnus est, et mihi maxima...
23From John Adams to John Adams, 22 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
Your capacity is as Smart and quick and ready, and retentive as any bodies. I Should not therefore be Surprised if you Should soon take a turn in your thoughts and pursuits, and outstrip both your Brothers, George and Charles in Latin and Greek, as well as in Arithmetick and Geometry. But I want to know what School You attend; where you board; who are the Masters, Proceptors Ushers Schollars;...
24From John Adams to John Adams, 18 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
I am charmed with the Chirography of your Letter of the Eleventh of September to your Grandmother. If your proficiency in your other Studies is in proportion to your improvement in your hand writing you will soon be a first rate Scholar. Your Account of the Accademy at Ealing is quite Satisfactory. If under Such Masters pursuing Such Studies and Exercises, with Such Companions, you do not lay...
25From John Adams to John Adams, 14 December 1815 (Adams Papers)
Your classical letter of the 4th. of Octr, does you honour, upon every Supposition that I can make. If you have composed it yourself, it is highly honourable to the Skill and care of your Preceptors and to your own Application to your Studies; All of which must have concurred in producing Such a proficiency in so Short a time. If, by your dutiful and submissive behaviour to your Masters you...
26From John Adams to John Adams, 5 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
“Learn Patience of a Friend”! You think you must go to sea. Well, I have no great Objection; provided you can command yourself; and your Constitution is Strong enough to support itself in all Climates, and through all Risques But let me tell you, that to qualify yourself to be a Seaman such as Halley Rawley, Cook, Columbus &c. you must go through a course of Patient Study. You must make...
27From John Adams to John Adams, 26 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
It gives me much pleasure, to hear that you have a Taste for Numbers, because this quality or faculty, call it which you will, is commonly connected with a curiosity for Quantities, and leads to Algebraical and geometrical Studies You think you have and an Inclination for the Sea: but, my dear Child, you know not, as yet, your own Propensities. You must learn to think before you decide; to...
28From John Adams to John Adams, 27 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
I know not whether I can ever consent to your being a Sailor Boy. I have already prescribed to you Geometry, Astronomy Algebra Geography &c as one would think enough to discourage but I have still more to Suggest to you. Are you willing to go to calledge take a Degree and After that be admitted to the respectable Rank of a Midshipman? As the Czar Peter did. Are you willing to Study Homer and...
29From John Adams to John Adams, 31 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
I find upon my table this morning your favour of the 7. March; and I know not whether I have ever answered it. I approve of your “eating and Sleeping and living together; of your playing Football, Crickett; running, climbinge, leaping Swimming, Skateing; and have no great Objection to your play at Marbles. These are good for your Health: but what do you do for your Mind? The Mind is of more...
30From John Adams to John Adams, 10 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
I culled a Few Flowers for George from The Andrian. I have done the Same for you here from the Step Mother, and will do the Like Soon for Charles. I Sent Georges by Mr Thatcher. A. John! Your Father and your Grandfather can attest upon Oath to a Similar Voyage in 1778. John! The Case of the Step Mother here is the Case of your Grandfather! Meditate a little upon it. MHi : Adams Papers.