51Martha Washington to Abigail Adams, 12 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
M rs. Washington presents her compliments to M rs. Adams— She wishes to know how the Vice-President and M rs. Adams are to day— M rs. Washington is happy to inform that the President is a little better to day than he was yesterday RC ( Adams Papers ); addressed: “M rs. Adams—” George Washington, unwell through much of the spring, became gravely ill from influenza and pneumonia in mid-May and...
52John Adams to Abigail Adams, 9 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
Vive la Baggatelle! Dulce est desipere. I have no other Resource in my solitude, amidst all my gloomy forebodings of the future Miseries of my beloved Species. Our Allies, Our only Alies as the Demi-Crazies pathetically call them, have compleated their System by turning all their Churches into, Je ne seais quoi and if they should have any Government erected among them either by Themselves or...
53Charles Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 September 1795 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of the 19 th instant I have received I thank you for your congratulations upon an event which has united me to the woman of my affections Your kind invitation shall be accepted as soon as I can leave my business for a few weeks how soon this may happen I cannot tell, nor can I flatter myself it can be in a short time. Since our marriage we have been at a house the Colonel has bought...
54John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
Cheesman has at length arrived and I have rec d my Trunk in much better order than I expected. The People here are much cooler than they were last Week. The Embargo begins to be felt by many who have been the most noisy and turbulent. Speculation mingles itself in every political Operation and many Merchants have already made a noble Spec. of the Embargo by raising their Prices: but the...
55John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 January 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have taken a Sheet of Paper, only to wish you an happy new Year and many happy repetitions of this Aniversary. I received yesterday a Letter, and Pacquet of his Liberty Papers and Pamphlets from M r B. Hollis dated 18. Feb. 1793. Where it has been I cannot guess. He Sends his best Wishes to you and hopes you have recovered your health and Spirits. I Suppose Columbus has now done with G— I...
56John Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
I rec d this morning your kind Letter of the 7 th. and wonder you had not rec d a Letter. I wrote from Stratford & Newyork and twice a Week since I have been here. your Anxiety for your Country is amiable and becomes your Character. Elevated Expectations of Grandeur and Glory as well as Prosperity have accompanied me through Life and been a great source of my Enjoyment. They are not diminished...
57John Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 October 1789 (Adams Papers)
M r Dalton, M r Jenkes and myself are at Penfields in good health and Spirits.— My Horses perform very well and my Servant tolerably. We have met with nothing but Rocks in the Road to molest us. These have jolted us very rudely but Salubriously. I shall keep M r Dalton company to Boston at least to Cambridge. according to present Conjectures We shall Spend the Sabbath at Springfield. My Love...
58John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
The Newspapers will inform you of our interminable Delays. The House have asked for Papers and the President has refused them, with Reasons and the House are about to record in their Journals their Reasons— meanwhile the Business is in suspence: and I have no clear Prospect when I shall go home. It is the general opinion of those I converse with that after they have passed the Resolutions...
59John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 January 1793 (Adams Papers)
Our Antifœderal Scribblers are so fond of Rotations that they Seem disposed to remove their Abuses from me to the President. Baches Paper which is nearly as bad as Freneaux’s begins to join in concert with it, to maul the President for his Drawing Rooms, Levees, declining to accept of Invitations to Dinners and Tea Parties, his Birth day Odes, Visits, Compliments &c— I may be expected to be an...
60John Adams to Abigail Adams, 17 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I this day rec d your favours of the 8. and 12 th. but how this last could have leaped to this distance in five days I know not. It is impossible to Say precisely when Congress will rise: but I will go home as soon as possible; I hope in April. I am very willing to confide all Arrangements to you— I like shaw and his Wife: and I like Richards and Joy from your Account of them.— We will try a...
61John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
It is now determined what the President has to depend on after the 4 th March. The Committee determined against raising the Salary of P. or V. P. The House which the P. had for 500 £ cannot again be had under 1000 £ — Horses are from 3 times to five times as high as they were Seven Years ago, Carriages three times as high—Provisions &c In Short all Levees and Drawing Rooms and Dinners must be...
62John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 December 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have rec d your favour of Nov. 23.— M r Cooper The Friend of our Diplomatic at the Hague, I hear was very active in the Election of M r Ames.— I wish that both Parties and all Parties may be convinced that Some Qualification of Voters is necessary; but if Negroes & Sailors and Tapsters all unqualified by Law as Oliver Cromwell used to call them are to vote for one why not for another.? You...
63Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 November 1792 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 21 st: and as I want a little private conversation with you, must oblige you to pay the Postage of my answer. At the request of several of our Friends I addressed a Letter to my Father a day or two since—stating certain reasons for hastening his Journey to Philad a: and most of those were of a public nature; but I omitted to mention any inducements of a...
64John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
The Weather here is as fine as it was the last Year. The Festival season of Christmas and the new Year, is enjoyed in Perfection by all, for what I know, but poor Cabot and me. He is as solitary and disconsolate as a lone Goose. He strives to keep up his Spirits and preserve his usual Gaiety but one plainly perceives it is all Exertion. There are Letters to the secretary of State upon public...
65John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 6 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have the receipt of two Letters from you to acknowledge; the one bearing date September 15. and the other October 8. of the year which has just been added to the rolls of departed Time. For both these Letters please to accept my cordial thanks. As the principal subject of them relates to the Treaty, which brought me here, they are not susceptible of a lengthy answer from me.— The part which...
66Charles Adams to Abigail Adams, 22 September 1794 (Adams Papers)
My books arrived in good order and well conditioned the day after I last wrote to my father. By some mistake the 28 th volume of The Dictionaire Diplomatique was left behind. Though I have not seen an account of the departure of my brothers I suppose from my father’s last letter that e’er this they must have sailed One half of your children are called away from you and though seas do not...
67John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 25 October 1794 (Adams Papers)
We have been already ten days in this place, but there has been no opportunity to Boston since our arrival. And altho’ I have done but very little, yet I have been so perpetually busy, that I have scarce found time even to write to the Secretary of State, and to my Father. My Brother I presume has informed you, how pleasant our passage was in every respect, excepting the conveyance, & how very...
68John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 November 1789 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your kind Letter inclosing that from our Friend Hollis. The Influenza is here as general as it was at N. York.— Your youngest Son has been laid up with it at M r Cranche’s; but is better. M r Wibird is confined with it, so that We had no Meeting. I have been to visit him: He is not very bad: but not fit to go out. My great Horse, had a Misfortune last night in the Stable, that...
69Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, 5 October 1796 (Adams Papers)
My last letter to you was dated the 27 th: of August, and went by “the Gen l Green” for Rhode Island. I hope ere this it has made more than half the passage. A direct opportunity offers for Boston from Rotterdam and another from the Capital, by the latter of which, I am informed, in a letter from Mess rs: Willink just received, will be sent the table linnen & ca: which was ordered by you last...
70John Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 June 1795 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday two Letters from each of our Sons at the Hague, who were very well and in good Spirits on the 25 th of April: but the Letters contain So much Information, that I have been obliged to lend them to The Secretary of the Treasury: I shall inclose them to you however on Monday All the next Week will be taken up, I Suppose in further Investigations of the Subject before Senate,...
71John Adams to Abigail Adams, 13 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
I dined on Monday at the Presidents with young La Fayette and his Preceptor, Tutor or Friend, whatever they call him, whose Name is Frestel. I asked Them with M r Lear to breakfast with me this Morning and they agreed to come: but last Evening M r Lear came with a Message from The President, to ask my Opinion whether it would be adviseable for the young Gentleman, in the present Circumstances...
72John Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
I dined Yesterday with M r Madison. M rs Madison is a fine Woman and her two sisters are equally so: one of them is married to George Washington one of the two Nephews of the President who were sometimes at our House. M r Washington came and civilly enquired after your Health. These Ladies, whose Names were Pain, are of a Quaker Family once of North Carolina. The Treaty with Spain is arrived...
73Mary Smith Gray Otis to Abigail Adams, 3 November 1792 (Adams Papers)
It was my intention to have written to you earlier after my return than this, but have found my time very much taken up, with puting my house in order.— You will not however think me less sincere for being late in my enquieres after your health, which I am sorry to hear is not yet confirmed. Your friends here regret very much, being deprived of your society this winter and are only reconciled...
74John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 December 1794 (Adams Papers)
Brisler has shipped, on board The Abby Captain Eames, two Barrells of Flour, one hundred Weight of Clover Seed and half a Bushell of Herds Grass Seeds; and the Medallion: all consigned to our Friend M r Smith in Boston. As Captain Eames’s Intention was to Sail to day, I Suppose he is gone. twelve Pounds of Clover seed and two quarts at least of Herds grass seeds must be sown, when the time...
75Samuel Magaw, James Hutchinson, Jonathan Williams, and John Vaughan to Abigail Adams, 26 February 1791 (Adams Papers)
Having been honored with the Vice Presidents consent to attend the Eulogium in Memory of D r Benjamin Franklin. We in the name of the Philosophical Society, presume to hope you will do them the honor of your presence on the Same important occasion We have the honor to be / with the greatest respect / Madam / Your obedient Servants RC ( Adams Papers ); internal address: “M rs Adams.—” Benjamin...
76John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
The Alteration of Post Days or some other Cause has disappointed me of a Letter from you this Week, which is the first time I have failled of a Letter on Monday for several months. The Weather has been very hot and dry here. Yesterday however We had a Light shower: but to day it is very hot again. The House is slow upon the Ways and means the essential Measure which remains— But I think We...
77John Adams to Abigail Adams, 19 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have this morning rec d your kind Letters of 10 & 11 th. of May.— You mention Land bought by D r Phipps which you had mentioned to me: but I have not rec d any Letter from you which hinted at any Land— By this I fear I lost a Letter last monday by some fault in the Post.— however I want no more land at present. A Pew I should like to have, and a double one too if possible.— I shall leave you...
78Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, 29 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
Four precious letters from you have come to the hand of your apostate Son Thomas, without any other acknowledgment on his part, than silent gratitude. Such a return neither merits, nor I fear will it receive a repetition of your favors. The dates of those received are the 17. & 18. September 30 November and 12 March. I shall reply to them in their order so far as respects the several...
79John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 February 1795 (Adams Papers)
This is the coldest day We have felt this Winter, and if it were not for the hope I have of a Letter from you Tomorrow, I should freeze for what I know, to night. This Month has been all unpleasant Weather but none severe. You have had a North East storm I perceive which raised the Tides And I hope brought in a fresh and abundant supply of Seaweed.— It is the dullest time We have seen this...
80John Adams to Abigail Adams, 5 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
There is a dead calm in the political Atmosphere, which furnishes no Event worth relating. The House of Reps is wholly taken up with two worthless Agents of Corruption. I have this day however heard News that is of some Importance. It must be kept a Secret wholly to yourself, One of the Ministry told me to day that the President was solemnly determined to serve no longer than the End of his...