1To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas McKean, 1 April 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I am preparing the biography of my Father and am anxious to obtain all the information I possibly can, I therefore, will be much oblig’d to you, Sir, for your early recollections respecting him, I take this liberty in consequence of being a descendant of one of the steadfast Patriots of the Revolution, and knowing him to have been a warm friend of y r Excellency. MoSHi : Thomas Jefferson...
2To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 17 June 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am at present obliged to write to you by another hand. The inclosed letter was sent to me in May last by your Son Thomas B. Adams Esquire, with a request that I should return it under cover to you. I regret that owing to a mistake of his residence, I had not the pleasure of his company at my table when he was last in this City. Miss Rutter has been so kind, I understand, as to explain the...
3To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 20 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
I can now answer the questions in your favor of the 30th. July last, viz. Who shall write the history of the American Revolution &c.? Major General James Wilkinson has written it. He commences with the battle of Bunker’s or Breed’s hill at Boston and concludes with the battle near New-Orleans on the Missisippi, a period of forty years. It will be published in three volumes large octavo, each...
4To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 1 July 1815 (Adams Papers)
We have been spectators of such wonderful scenes within the last fifty years of our lives as perhaps were never seen before in the same space of time: tempests, convulsions, wars & revolutions have succeeded each other with such rapidity & violence as to cause the utmost astonishment of the human mind; but the events in Europe within the last and present year surpass all the rest. Napoleon,...
5To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 15 October 1814 (Adams Papers)
The communications of our Plenepotentiaries at Ghent give complete evidence of the temper & views of the British government respecting peace with the United States; they will emphatically unite them. I have always been of opinion that the Administration of Britain intended to protract the negotiation until the result of the present campaign should be known; but until now I did not believe they...
6To John Adams from Thomas McKean, January 1814 (Adams Papers)
In your favor of the 26th. Novembert last you say, “that you ventured to say, that about a third of the people of the Colonies were against the Revolution.” It required much reflection before I could fix my opinion on this subject, but on mature deliberation I conclude you are right, and that more than a third of influencial characters were against it. The opposition consisted chiefly of the...
7To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 7 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
In your favor of 26th November last, you say “that you venture to say that about a third of the people of the Colonies were against the Revolution.” It required much reflection before I could fix my opinion on this subject; but, on mature deliberation, I conclude you are right, and that more than a third of influential characters were against it. The opposition consisted chiefly of the...
8To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 15 November 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have to thank you for the introduction of the Reverend Mr; Henry Colman to my acquaintance, and am sorry his other engagements deprived me of his company as often and in the manner I wished. My last letter was (I perceived) dated in August instead of September; your’s of that date, to which mine was an answer, bore the same date, and I suppose lay before me. Old age will discover itself,...
9To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 28 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
With sincerity I condole with you on the death of your daughter; I had five children who have died, three of whom have been married & left a numerous offspring. By these events we have sustained the deprivation of great comforts; but our loss is their ineffable gain, they are in the bosom of their father and their God. These are among the common calamities of life: resignation to the...
10To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 20 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
I can at length furnish you with a copy of the proceedings of the Congress held at New-York in 1765; it is inclosed herewith. After diligent enquiry, I had not been able to procure a single copy either in manuscript or print, done in the United States, but fortunately met one, published by J. Almon in London, in 1767, with a collection of American tracts in four octavo volums, from which I...