1John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 15 July 1813, with Postscript from Abigail Adams to Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 15 July 1813] (Jefferson Papers)
Never mind it, my dear Sir, if I write four Letters to your one: your one is worth more than my four. It is true that I can Say and have Said nothing new on the Subject of Government. yet I did Say in my Defence and in my Discourses on Davila, though in an uncouth Style, what was new to Lock , to Harrington , to Milton , to Hume to Montesquieu to Reauseau , to Turgot , Condorcet
I received this day a Letter from your father dated 21 Sep’br. it was a Letter different from any which I have before received from him.—it communicated to me, and to you the sorrowfull intelligence of the Death of your dear and only Sister. She was taken Sick in August, and died the 15th of Seb’br with a nervous fever which brought on convulsions your parents are in great affliction as you...
3From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 31 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
knowing what a punctilious young gentleman you are, I would not let your old Captain Bronson Sail again without a Letter to you by mr Charles Dexter You notice your Birth day, and Say you are twelve years old. I do assure you Sir it was celebrated here, not withstanding your absence as usual; with the ringing of Bells publick orations, military parade and social festivals, nor did we forget to...
It is better to go to the House of mourning than to the House of Feasting, or dancing, for the living lay it to heart. you my dear Children are now calld to the House of mourning and Sorrow, by the death of your dear Aunt Smith and the only daughter of your Grandparents, the only Sister of your Father. your Aunt died last night, to the deep affliction of the whole Family—her pure Spirit I...
5From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 10 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
pray how did you succeed with your new commission? I heard you was made Commander-in chief of the Regiment of Poultry, on Board ship—with full powers to deal out their Rations, at your pleasure, and I learnt from a Letter of mr Ticknors two days after you sail’d, that you were well, and studied to his satisfaction. While I am writing this I flatter myself that you have made half your voyage,...
6From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 21 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
I always feel gay, when I take my pen to write to you. it is the recollection of your ardour, your intrepidity your and your Sparkling Eyes, and rosy cheeks which appeard to me the other Night, heightned by your return to your Native State & country which animated your whole frame, when you ran eagerly into the Arms of your Grandmother, which so gratified me, that I regreted when I awoke, and...
7From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 5 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
I hope you have received your mittins, and your Brother his, which Mrs. Foster took a fortnight since and promissed to send to you, but I fear she has not found a conveyance. I am the easier because your Aunt wrote me that she had provided for you. I thank you for your Letter which was so much better written than your Brothers, that I could not keep saying you had learnt more good hand writing...
8From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 28 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of Sep’br th 11 came safe to hand, and I was well pleasd With the account you give me of your pursuits. if you give proper attention to each department of your Studies, You cannot Spend much Idle time.—you have improved in your hand writing, and in your composition. Your Mother writes me that you learn fast. I know that you have a capacity to acquire what ever with dilligence you...
9From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 9 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
I Suppose you will think that Grandmama might have written you a few lines. well you shall not be dissapointed altho I have much writing to do, as vessels are getting ready to go to Russia—Captain Bainbridge arrived from there, this week, and brought Letters. he saw your Father and Mother in october, and he Says in a Letter to your Grandfather incloseing those from your father “Sir your Little...
10From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 8 December 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have not written you a Letter yet, but I promissed you one, and I now have the pleasure of inclosing a Letter from your Brother Charles to you. I had a Letter from your Father dated in Sepbr th 11: the day after your Sister was Baptized. she was call’d Louisa Catharine, the Rev’d Dr Pitt, Chaplain to the English Church in St Petersburgh performed the Service, and mr Harris our Consul there...
11From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 16 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your Letter: and was very glad to hear from you; I was the more gratified to hear from you because I had written to your Brother, and not to you. I thinke George ought to have written. to your inquiries how the Family are, I can give you but a poor account. I have been sicke and confined to my chamber ever since you went away, and your Aunt Adams has been, and still is sicke...
12Three party indenture for distribution of property between JA and AA et al., 7 October 1814 (Adams Papers)
This indenture of three parts made and concluded this seventh day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred & fourteen by and between John Adams Esquire and Abigail his wife in her right, of Quincy in the County of Norfolk & Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Richard Norton of Alexandria in the District of Columbia Esquire, William Norton of Weymouth in said County of Norfolk,...
13From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 24 October 1816 (Adams Papers)
I am not conscious that I have been deficient in a return to all the Letters you have written to me, and I now acknowledge your last, july 31st you have had a long vacation—I hope it has not all been Spent in amusement, and dissipation—you knew I used to wish you back to your School; when the vacation was only a fortnight. you sometimes used to think hard of it. you will not think so, when you...
14John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, with postscript by Abigail Adams, 20 June 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
The fit of recollection came upon both of Us, So nearly at the same time that I may, Sometime or other, begin to think there is Some thing in Priestleys and Hartleys vibrations. The day before Yesterday I Sent to the Post office a letter to you and last night I received your kind favour of the 10 th . The question before the human race is, Whether the God of nature Shall govern the World by...
15From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 1 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
I was much pleased to receive your Letter of july 26th and to mark your improvement in your hand writing & in the regularity of your lines; Your Visit to Clapham must have been very delightfull to you: It is a pleasant village. I used to go often there when I resided in London, to visit an American family by the name of Vassel. I should like to know if any Branch of it, are yet living? There...
16From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 15 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
Never mind it, my dear Sir, if I write four Letters to your one: your one is worth more than my four. It is true that I can Say and have Said nothing new on the Subject of Government. Yet I did Say in my Defence and in my Discourses on Davila, though in an uncouth Style, what was new to Lock, to Harrington, to Milton, to Hume, to Montesquieu to Roauseau, to Turgot, Condorcet, to Rochefaucault,...
17John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, with Postscript by Abigail Adams, 2 February 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
I know not what to Say of your Letter of the 11 th of Jan. but that it is one of the most consolatory, I ever received. To trace the Commence me nt of the Reformation I Suspect We must go farther back than Borgia , or even than Huss or Wickliff , and I want the Acta Sanctorum to assist me in this Research. That Stupendous Monument of human Hypocricy and Fanaticism the Church of St. Peter
18From Ann Frances Harrod Adams to John Adams, 20 June 1810 (Adams Papers)
When I take a retrospective view of the innumerable obligations which I owe you, not only as the revered Parents of my husband but as the kindest and best of friends, my heart expands with filial gratitude yet I know not how to attempt an expression of my feelings. After a residence of five years under your roof which has been endeared to me by some of the most interesting events of my life,...
19To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 7 March 1816 (Adams Papers)
I am very glad you like my letter of the third October, 1815 and hope you will like all of, them, as they come. I have lived in, la rue de Richelieu &, I have been to Passy and Au teuil, and to the place de Carousal, and from there I came here to visit Grosvenor Square, with my Father, and Mother; but as to Amsterdam, Leyden, and the Hague, I dont know where they are. I hope some time or other...
20From Charles Francis Adams to John Adams, 5 March 1814 (Adams Papers)
I am staying at home from School, because I have got a bad Cold and Cough: but I love to be always doing something good, and I think I cannot be doing any thing better than writing to my Brothers. I told you in my last Letter that it was very cold in this Country: and since I wrote it, I have been to see the Rope dancers, and Tumblers, and other Show men, who have their Stages built upon the...
21From Charles Francis Adams to John Adams, 16 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I wrote a letter to Brother George, and so I thought that I ought to write you one too; for I love both my Brothers equally well, and I hope it will not be much longer before we shall all meet together again. I want to go home, to see my Grandpapa and Grandmama, who have always been so kind to you and Brother George, and to live where it is not so cold as in this Country; for here,...
22To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 23 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter dated May 15th. 1816 which I was very much interested with, and pleased me very much. As to your question of what country man I am, I think you ought to know that I never would desert my own country not for any thing Where I was born I do not remember nor I think never knew till you told me, that was in your last letter and so I take the liberty to fill my letter up...
23To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 26 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
All the things are arrived from Russia among them are a great many of my books Berquin, Lafontaine, & Boisards fables Conte ama fille, French Bible six or 7—English Grammars a German Book and an arithmetic book. The arithmetic book has got a nail driven through it. I am very happy to see the boys play at School and I in the middle of them but I only play in my play hours so I only have 3 ac :...
24To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 15 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved your letter dated the 17 November 1815 and I was very happy to have got it or that is to say to have recieved your letter and hope to recieve a couple more before the end of the holidays I have not recieved as many letters from you as I want. I think you are right I think too that General Scott is a very good General and he has done the Americans and America a great deal of...
25To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 17 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
I have been learning to write more than a year; and it is high time for me to try to turn my learning to some use; and I can make no better use of it than by writing to my Grandparents and my Brothers to give them tokens of my duty and affection. It is so long since I came from home, that I cannot remember how they look, nor the place where I was born; but I shall never forget the love and...
26To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 11 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
We Have left School for a day because John was not quite well. we go to Ealing School kept by Doctor Nicholas of Wadham College, Oxford. There are 275 boys of which I know a 140 I learn Latin, Greek, Drawing, Dancing, French, Music, English, Arithmetic, Writing, and Fencing. Papa has bought a Curricle, and a Landau. It is the fashion at Ealing, for Ladies to ride on Donkeys, which is the...
27To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 26 July 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved your letter of the 6 of May, 1815 I was very glad to hear that you were very well. I have been to a gentlemans house by the name of Mr. Clarkson; we stayed three days: there were 5 young ladies and a young gentleman namely, Anna Clarkson, Sophia Clarkson, Mary Clarkson, Louisa, and Emma. Mr. Clarkson is the brother of the famous Mr. Clarkson, that wrote the book upon Quakers. I...
28To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 3 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved your Letter of the fourth July. I will write you what I have seen at Paris. I have been to the Theatre des Variété. Feydeau l’Odéon. Francais. l’Opérá, l’Ambigu, la Porte de Saint Martin, Cirque Olympique, Robertsons & les Funambules. J’ai aussi vue le Musée Napoléon le tableau de Raphaêl étoit le plus beau, et la bataille de Marengo qui etoit superbe. J’ai ainsi été a la...
29To John Adams from David Adams, 18 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
Having a disposition and inclination to Join the Army—if I could by the influence of friends obtain an appointment—and trusting in your candor and friendship—I have thought proper to communicate my wishes to you on the subject—I wish you would assist me in obtaining an appointment as Surgeon or Surgeons Mate to a Regiment—By lending me your assistance you will confer a peculiar favor on Sir...
30John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 9 August 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
I believe I told you in my last , that I had given you all in Lindseys Memoirs, than that interested you. But I was mistaken. In Priestleys Letter to Lindsey Dec r 19. 1803 , I find this Paragraph “With the Work I am now composing I go on much faster and better than I expected; so that in two or three months, if my health continue as it now is, I hope to have it ready for the Press; though I...