1John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
I have not received my Letters of Recall from Holland and therefore must disappoint you and my self. I have requested them anew and Suppose I shall receive them about Christmas, but whether I do or not, I shall come home, at latest in the first Spring ships, unless I should receive Some new Commission in Europe, which is not likely. I am unalterably determined not to stay in Holland where I...
2John Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 August 1783 (Adams Papers)
I have received your two favours of 7 May and 20 June. I had received no Letter from you for so long an Interval that these were really inestimable. I always learn more of Politicks from your Letters, than any others. I have lost all my Correspondents in Congress. I wrote to Mr. Jackson and Gen. Warren Supposing they were Members. Mr. Gerry is there now, to my Great Joy. Beg of him to write to...
3John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Altho’ I have already written you by Mr. Brush who will probably deliver this to you; yet I cannot help writing a few more Lines to justify myself with you, from a reproach; the Idea of which I cannot bear. If the Northern Regions have frozen up that Quick and Lively Imagination, which you are please to say, used to be agreeable to my Friends, they have most certainly not chilled my affection,...
4John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 29 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Adams having taken a Journey to Holland for three or four Weeks, and there being nothing of consequence to do in his Absence, Mr. Storer and myself thought it an exceeding good opportunity of executing our Project of a Voyage to this place, for the sake of the Sea Bath. We arrived here on the 27th. instant, after a delightfully fatiguing Journey. We passed thro’ the Province of Normandy,...
5John Adams to Abigail Adams, 26 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Last Saturday, I left Paris, and on Tuesday arrived, at the Hague. To Day I am come to this Town. I Shall return to Paris in a Fortnight. So as to make my whole Absence about three Weeks. Soon after my Return I expect the definitive Treaty will be Signed, but in this I may be mistaken. My Son is with me in good health. I had a tender Meeting with the dear Companion of my Voages and Journeys,...
6John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 23 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
It is indeed a long time since I have receiv’d any Letters from my friends in America, and I must own I have been a little behind hand within these two years; in writing to them. However, I hope they will consider that I have been all that time, almost at the world’s end, or to make the best of it, in such an out of the-way place, as made it very inconvenient for me to write: But I should...
7Enclosure: Extract of a Letter from Benjamin Franklin to Robert R. Livingston, 22 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
After declaring that neither the Letter from Mr. Marbois nor the conversation respecting the Fishery, Boundaries, Royalists and recommending Moderation in our Demands, are of Weight sufficient to fix in his Mind an opinion, that the Court of France wishes to restrain us in obtaining any Degree of Advantage We could prevail on our Enemies to accord to, the Doctor goes on— “I ought not however...
8John Adams to Abigail Adams, 17 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
No Letter from you, yet. I believe I shall Set off Tomorrow or next day, for the Hague, and Shall bring John with me back to Paris in about 3 Weeks. There will be an Interval, before the Signature of the definitive Treaty, and Several publick Concerns oblige me to go to the Hague for a Short time. When I get my Son with me, I shall be ready to go to any Place, where I may embark for home, as...
9John Adams to Abigail Adams, 13 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
We have had for a Fortnight or Three Weeks a Succession of Hot Weather, attended with an unusual Fog, that has been worse for me to bear than were ever the extreamest heats of Philadelphia. My Scorbutic Habit is very ill fitted to bear it. But all this is not so tedious as the mournfull Silence of every Body in America. Not a Line from you or any Body near you Since Christmas. Congress have...
10John Adams to Abigail Adams, 9 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Not a Line from you since December. Congress has not cutt off our heads for making Peace, and that is some Comfort. I am not in health and dont expect to be, untill I can get home. But when will this be? We are all at as great Uncertainty as We have been these six Months. Yet one should think it cannot be long before the Treaty is finished. You must not cease to write to me, untill I arrive at...
11John Adams to Abigail Adams, 26 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
No Letters from you Since last December. Write by the Way of England Holland, France Spain all the Winds of Heaven. You may desire Mr. Storer to inclose your Letters to the Care of his Connections in London. Letters come now by that Way very well. I know not when I shall see you. I begin to fear it will not be, till next year. Yet I am in constant hopes every Moment of receiving from Congress...
12John Adams to Abigail Adams, 19 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
The Legion of Lauzun has arrived, and We hope has brought the Orders of Congress, for Us, but We have not yet received them, and are as much at a Loss as ever. I know not whether my Resignation is accepted, and consequently can give you no Conjecture, when I Shall be able to get away. As the Spring and Summer Passage is lost, I cannot now embark before September or October, or November....
13John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
Day after day, Week after Week, Month after Month, roll away and bring Us no News. I am So weary of this idle useless Time, that I dont know what to do with myself. I dont wonder that People who have So much more of Such Time, than has fallen to my Share, have recourse to Play for dissipation. I find myself in the Same Situation with my Lord Chesterfield who Says in one of his Letters, that he...
14John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 10 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
It would give me great Satisfaction to have it in my power to reply to any Letter from you since October last. But that pleasure is denied me. I feel that I am deprived of one Source of Instruction and Entertainment, in being deprived of your excellent Letters. And I support the Privation with little Philosophy. I am thoroughly tired of this cold Consolation, “wait with Patience.” Tis...
15John Adams to Abigail Adams, 9 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
What would I not give for an Arrival from America? or for certain Advice from London of the Appointment of a Ministry, or for the Arrival here of a Minister to Sign the definitive Treaty? What would I not give for an Arrival from America or for Advice from London what the Ministry intend to do? Mr. Hartley is now here but We advance slowly to the definitive Treaty. I can now have no hopes of...
16John Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
Here I am, out of all Patience. Not a Word from America. The British Ministry, lingering on. Mr. Hartley uncertain what to do. No Regulation of Commerce agreed on. No definitive Treaty of Peace, Signed, nor likely to be Signed very Soon. My Spring Passage home lost. To embark in July or August, would be the worst Season of the whole Year—on Account of Heat and Calms. I dont See a Possibility...
17John Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
No News yet from America! We Yesterday, exchanged Full Powers with Mr. Hartley, and have agreed to meet at my House, every Evening at Six o Clock, untill We Shall have finished. This looks as if We were under Weigh, and I hope We shall reach Port. But cannot guess, how Soon. My Residence in Holland has given me many faithfull Remembrancers, and among the Rest the Scurvy. I walk every day,...
18The Chevalier de Ronnay to Abigail Adams, with a Contemporary Translation, 26 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
Ce jour tant désiré est à la fin arrivé, la paix a couronné vos voeux et les nôtres. Ce fléau si dangereux s’est donc éloigné pour longtems de votre hémisphère, et peut être pour peu du nôtre. Ce même jour qui a fait mes délices, m’a en même tems fait perdre tout espoir de revoir L’Amérique continentale: mon devoir, mon intérêt personnel et l’amitié que je porte à un pere, à une mere et à des...
The much-desired day is at last arrived: Peace hath crowned both your Wishes and Ours. The dangerous Scourge of War is removed for a long time from your Hemisphere; and, perhaps, for a little while from ours. But This delightfull Period has, at the same time, taken from me all Hope of seeing again the Continent of America. My duty, my personal Interest, and the Love that I bear to my Parents...
20Charles Storer to Abigail Adams, 26 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
The last Evening’s news, Madam, has made me somewhat anxious on your Account. We heard of the arrival of Captain Barney, in the Packett-Washington, at Philadelphia. By him Mr. Adams wrote to you advising to come to Europe. After the departure of Captn. Barney from hence, Mr. A. changed his mind and sent Counter-advice to L’Orient, in hopes of sending it by the same vessell. Whether these last...
21Arthur Lee to Abigail Adams, 23 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
I arrived in Philadelphia this day and had the honor of receiving your Commands of the 9th. Tho’ we were exceedingly desirous of the assistance of Mr. Adams in what yet remains to be done in Europe; yet his Letters were so pressing, that the Committee to whom they were referrd coud not resist reporting in favor of his resignation. Congress have not yet considerd that report; but I think Madam,...
22John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 18 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
For about three Weeks in the Time of Lent, the Play Houses are shut up, on account of its being a Season for the Care (not Cure ) of Souls. To a City so much accustomed to Amusements as Paris, this is a Time of Mourning and Sadness. Horse racing and Bull baiting have been invented to fill up a part of this Interval of Sorrow. But what is called the Fête des longs Champs, or long Fields, is the...
23John Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
It Seems as if Providence had ordered many Things for the last Months, in Such a manner as to put my Patience and Resignation to the Tryal. I dont know whether Jobs Tryals were more Severe. 1. Mr. John who was to have been at the Hague by Christmas has been detained at Stockholm, Copenhagen and Hamborough at which last Place he was on the 4. of this month, you may imagine my Anxiety about him....
24John Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
If Congress when they revoked my Commission had appointed another to make a Treaty of Commerce with Great Britain, We should have had the Business all done on the 30 of Nov. Shelburnes Ministry would not have been condemned in the H. of Commons, and the definitive Treaty would have been signed before now and I Should be ready to embark for the Blue Hills, where I must go to recover my health,...
25John Adams to Abigail Adams, 11 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
There is at length a Ministry in England composed of Kings Friends and Peoples Men, which will effervesce, and throw out a great deal of fixed Air like Potash and Lime Juice. Mr. Laurens and Mr. Hartley are to be here in a few days to enter upon the definitive Treaty, but it is now probable there will be a Congress under the Mediation of the two imperial Courts at least respecting the Terms...
26John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
It is now compleatly five Years, Since I first arrived in Europe, and in all that time I was never more impatient to hear from you and from America in General, than I am now and have been for some months. Not a Word, Since the Beginning of January, except a Line from your Unckle, and Scarcely any Thing Since the 26 of Oct. when I arrived in Paris. I have no intimation of the Arrival of my...
27John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 March 1783 (Adams Papers)
On the 30 Nov. our Peace was Signed. On the 28. March We dont know that you have Yet heard of it. A Packet Should have been Sent off. I have not yet received the Ratification of the my Dutch Treaty. I know not when I Shall be able to embark for home. If I receive the Acceptance of my Resignation, I Shall embark in the first ship, the first good ship I mean, for I love you too well, to venture...
28John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 28 March 1783 (Adams Papers)
Peace seems to have closed all Communication with America. ’Tis a very long time since any Vessels or Letters have arrived either in France or Holland. We cannot account for this Circumstance, but upon the Supposition, that News had reached America of Negociations for Peace being opened, and that while this Business was pending the Merchant prefered a State of Inactivity to putting any thing...
If I had received your Letter an hour sooner, I could have sent you an answer the same day, viz. Thursday, by Mr. Badcock who dined here, and would conveyed it as far as Milton Bridge himself. But having lost this Opportunity, I must send by the Post. But since you have signified your Request to Mr. Shaw only mediately, he thinks himself entitled to make use of the same Medium in giving an...
30John Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 February 1783 (Adams Papers)
Dryden, whom I have always loved to read now and then, because I learn something from him, informs me, if I did not know it before, that “it hath been observed in former times that none have been so greedy of Employments, and of managing the Publick, as they who have least deserved their Stations. But such only merit to be called Patriots, under whom We see their Country flourish. I have...