1[Parents and Boyhood] (Adams Papers)
My Father married Susanna Boylston in October 1734, and on the 19th of October 1735 I was born. As my Parents were both fond of reading, and my father had destined his first born, long before his birth to a public Education I was very early taught to read at home and at a School of Mrs. Belcher the Mother of Deacon Moses Belcher, who lived in the next house on the opposite side of the Road. I...
2[Harvard College, 1751–1755] (Adams Papers)
Continued November 30. 1804. In my own class at Collidge, there were several others, for whom I had a strong affection—Wentworth, Brown, Livingston, Sewall and Dalton all of whom have been eminent in Life, excepting Livingston an amiable and ingenious Youth who died within a Year or two after his first degree. In the Class before me I had several Friends, Treadwell the greatest Schollar, of my...
3Harvard Colledge June 8th. 1753. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge. A Clowdy, Dull morning, and so continued till about 5 a Clock, when it began to rain m o derately But continued not long, But remained Clowdy all night in which night I watched with Powers. The first day of the first quarter of the 1753–1754 academic year ( MH-Ar : Steward’s Records, Quarterbill Books, 1720–1756). For a discussion of the impulses and influences leading JA to start...
49 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, the weather still remaining Clowdy all Day, till 6 o’Clock, when the Clowds were Dissipated, and the sun brake forth in all his glory.
510 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge a clear morning. Heard Mr. Appleton expound those words in 1. Cor. 12 Chapt. 7 first verses, and in the afternoon heard him preach from those words in 26 of Mathew 41 verse, watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. Harvard students attended services on Sundays in the First Church of Cambridge ( Morison, Three Centuries of Harvard Samuel Eliot Morison, Three Centuries of...
6Monday [11 June]. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a fair morning, and pretty warm. About 2 o’Clock there appeared some symptoms of an approaching shower, attended with some thunder, and lightning.
7Tuesday [12 June]. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clowdy morning, heard Dr. Wigglesworth Preach from the 20 Chapter of exodus 8, 9 and 10th. Verses. Morning prayers were said regularly in Holden Chapel in the Yard ( Morison, Three Centuries of Harvard Samuel Eliot Morison, Three Centuries of Harvard , 1636–1936, Cambridge, 1936. , p. 94) Rev. Edward Wigglesworth (1693–1765) , Harvard 1710, was Hollis professor of divinity (...
813 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Cloudy morning, about 10 o’Clock the Sun shone out very warm, but about 12 the heat was, in part, allayed By the rising of the wind.
914 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clear, warm, morning But about 2 o’Clock came up a very hard shower, acompanied with some thunder and ligh t ning.
1015 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clear, warm morning, and so Continued.
1116 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a fair morning, but, not very warm.
1217 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, sunshiny-morning, heard Mr. Appleton expound those words in 1. Cor. 12 Chap, from 7, to the end of 11 verse, in the afternoon heard him preach from the first Psalm, and first verse.
1318 Monday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a warm morning, at 11 ’Clock read Theses on this question, (viz) antliarum et siphonum phaenomina solvuntur ex gravitate aeris. “The phenomena of pumps and siphons are explained by the weight of air.” The theses were outlines prepared earlier by tutors or sophisters, generally of single-page length, listing points relevant to the question posed and thus providing material for...
1419 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a very warm morning, at 11 Disputed on this question (viz) systema Copernicanum est verum mundi systema. In preparation for the public disputations at commencement, junior and senior sophisters were expected to dispute twice weekly in class. These recitations or exercises in logic were heard by the tutor of the class in his own room, those of the Class of 1755 by Tutor Joseph...
1520 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a most Charming and Beautifull Scene is this morning displayed. All nature wears a Chearfull garb, after so plentifull a Shower as we were favoured with the Last night, receving an additionall lustre from the sweet influences of the Sun.—This Day, I (in the religious Phylosopher) read the following experiment, (viz) that the filings of iron, mix’d with sulphur and kneaded to a...
1621 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a warm morning, and Something windy, about Sunset Came up a very hard shower attended with some Thunder, and very Sharp lightning.
1722 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Charming, pleasant morning, read Dr. Niewentyts Demonstration Co n cerning the rays of light emitted from a Burning Candle in a second of time, which he Computes to Be 418660 39/: Particles. In The Religious Philosopher, , “Contemplation XXV. Of the Unspeakable Number, and Unconceivable Smallness of the Particles of which the Universe consists”
1823 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clowdy morning, and in the afternoon, Came up a Clowd of thunder and lightning. Towards night fell a very hard shower.
1924 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Cloudy morning, heard Mr. Cotton of New-town vociferate from the 19. of Proverbs 2nd verse. In the afternoon, from those words in the 37th. Psalm and 4th. verse, Delight thyself in the Lord and he shall give thee thy Desires. John Cotton (1693–1757) , Harvard 1710, had been minister of the church in Newton since 1714; JA ’s language suggests that Cotton’s preaching resembled...
2025. Monday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a very rainy, morning, at 11 o’Clock Disputed from the question assigned us last tuesday But on which we Did not then Dispute By reason of Mr. Mayhews Being employed in taking an account of the Books and other things, Contained in the Library in order to the Printing a new Catalogue thereof. Joseph Mayhew (1710–1782) , Harvard 1730, tutor to the Class of 1755, had served as tutor...
2126 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a very rainy Day, as it has remained since yesterday-morning. By reason of my illness omitted Disputing from this question, generalia aestuum phaenomina solvuntur ab atractione solis et lunae. “The general phenomena of the tides are explained by the attraction of the sun and moon.” This “quaestio” had been one of the “Theses Physicae” disputed at commencement in 1746 and would be...
2227 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge. A Clowdy morning. Afternoon, together with Lock, took a ride to Watertown-Bridge and from thence round through Brookline Back to Colledge again. Samuel Locke (1732–1778) , of Lancaster, Harvard 1755, later minister at Sherborn and, from 1770 to 1773, a most ill-fated president of Harvard College ( Sibley-Shipton, Harvard Graduates John Langdon Sibley and Clifford K. Shipton,...
2328. Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clowdy-Day.
2429 [June 1753–January 1754?]. (Adams Papers)
Sat out from Boston, home where having tarried 7, or 8 Days I set out on a journey together with Mr. Adams to Piscataqua, to which I went By way of Litchfeild, going firstly from Boston over Charlston ferry through Charlestown, Mistick, Menotomy, Lexington, Bedford, Bilerica, Chensford, Dracut to which I passed from Chensford over the river. From Dracut I proceeded to Nottingham, Londonderry,...
2529 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clear morning. Heard the valedictory oration, pronounced, By Oliver. 2 o Clock set out for Boston, Designing to go from thence home. Attendance at exercises being required of all students other than those in the graduating class until 1 July, and senior sophisters not being allowed, while preparing for their “sitting solstices” or oral examinations, to leave Cambridge between 21...
26[February 1754.] (Adams Papers)
This winter, we had a vacation. In the winter of 1754 we had no snow at all save a smattering or two, But perpetuall rains and warm weather thro’ought the whole. In the academic year 1752–1753 there had been no winter vacation at the College. This was because during 1752 the number of instructional days had been greatly diminished, in the spring by the closure necessitated by a smallpox...
27March [1754]. (Adams Papers)
Beg inning of March Had a small flurry of snow. There was snow in Cambridge on 2 March and “a little” on 7 March (John Winthrop, Meteorological Journal, MH-Ar ). Other considerations rather favor the 2d over the 7th of March as the precise date of this entry in the Diary Fragment.
28March 8th. (Adams Papers)
A Clowdy morning. I am now reading my lord Orrerys letters to his son Concerning Dr. Swift and his writings, which for softness and delicacy of style, accuracy and serenity of sentiment, are absolutely inimitable. Reading also the last volume of Monsieur Rollin’s Belles Lettres which are worth their weight in gold.—for his excellent reflections on every remarkable event that occurs in history...
29[17? March 1754.] (Adams Papers)
Kept sabath at Cambridge. March about the middle.
30March 18th. (Adams Papers)
In the Evening we had several very sharp flashes of lightning, attended with a Distant grumbling of thunder.