On Friday last M r . DeMarbois called upon me to enquire whether Congress had as yet directed any Answers to be given to his Memorials under their Consideration. In the course of Conversation he mentioned the Affair of Longchamps and informed me that his Court would not persist in their Demand of him. He proposed that the Paper containing that Demand together with those that accompanied it...
62From John Adams to the President of Congress, 21 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 21 May 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 151–157. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:424–427. This letter contained an English translation of Frederick II’s ordinance of 30 April regarding navigation and commerce. The preamble to the...
63From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 56, 29 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 29 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 1–2). LbC ( Adams Papers ); marked: “56.” printed: Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:640. Congress received this letter on 16 October. Relying on newspaper accounts, John Adams reported on the number and...
Paris, 23 February 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, I, f. 279; docketed: “No. 8 Feby. 23. 1780 Letter from J. Adams recd. Oct. 16. sends News Papers &c.” LbC Adams Papers ; notations: “Recd in Congress Oct. 15.”; by Thaxter: “No. 8.” and “In No. 8 were inclosed Triplicates of all the former Letters to Congress, and also a Copy of a Letter to the Marquiss de la Fayette, & his...
65From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 2, 22 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 22 Aug. 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 241–244). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:36–38. This letter, read by Congress on 20 Nov., began with France’s reply of 4 Aug. to the Swedish declaration of 30 July acceding to the armed neutrality, the text of...
66From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
The long expected Courier has at last arrived at the Hague from Petersbourg. The Contents of his dispatches are not publick, but all hopes of immediate assistance from the armed Neutrality seem to be dissipated. The Question now is what is to be done next. Some are for Alliances with the House of Bourbon and America: but a thousand fears arise. France, the Emperor and the Republick have...
67From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 23 December 1777 (Adams Papers)
Having been Absent, on a Journey, I had not the Honour of receiving your Letters, until Yesterday when one of the Twenty Eighth of November inclosing a Resolution of Congress of the Same Day, and another of the third of December inclosing a Commission for Dr Franklin Dr Lee and Myself to represent the United States at the Court of France, were delivered to me in Boston. As I am deeply...
68From John Adams to the President of Congress, 22 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
The late glorious Victory, obtained by Admiral Zoutman over Admiral Parker, is wholly to be ascribed to the Exertions of Amsterdam. Pretences and Excuses would have been devised, for avoiding to send out the Fleet, and indeed for avoiding an Action, when at Sea, if it had not been for the Measures which have been taken to arouse the Attention and animate the Zeal of the Nation. The Officers...
69From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 57, 2 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, In this letter, which Congress received on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams included an English translation of a memorial presented by the French ambassador to the States General on 26 April (given as 10 April in Wharton) that announced the repeal of the fifteen percent tariff levied by France on most Dutch goods by various decrees in 1778 and 1779, together with the return of all duties...
70From John Adams to the President of Congress, 13 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 13 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 283–285. LbC Adams Papers . printed : JA, Corr. in the Boston Patriot Correspondence of the Late President Adams. Originally Published in the Boston Patriot. In a Series of Letters , Boston, 1809[–1810]; 10 pts. , p. 546–549. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It contains an...
71John Adams to the president of Congress, 10 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to Congress a Copy of a Letter from the Baron De Thulemeier, and a Copy of a Project of a Treaty transmitted to me, by the order of the King of Prussia. I Should hope it might be examined in Congress or by a Committee and that Instructions may be sent, concerning any Changes to be made in the Articles, together with a Commission to treat and conclude to Such...
72From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 20, 18 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 18 March, 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 329–332). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:557–558. The first two-thirds of the letter, which was read in Congress on 22 July, was taken from the Gazette d’Amsterdam and included almost...
73From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 15 January 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , Misc. Papers, Reel No. 1, f. 225–227. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:233. In this letter, read in Congress on 19 Nov., John Adams provided a much condensed translation, probably from a French text such...
74From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 13, 5 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 5 Oct. 1780. Dupl in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 281–282). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:82. In this letter, received by Congress on 29 Jan. 1781, John Adams indicated that he had no news regarding his commission to negotiate a Dutch...
I find that Congress were pleased on the 22 d . Ult: to order me, “to transmit to the Executives of the States, Abstracts of the Numbers, Names and Owners of Negroes carried away by the British in contravention to the late Treaty of Peace, and which were the Property of the Citizens of such States respectively.”— I suspect that Congress were not apprized of the Length of this Account. A very...
76From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 81, 10 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 10 June 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 106–117). LbC ( Adams Papers ) notation by John Thaxter: “June 18th. 1780. This day delivered Mr. Hall of Virginia No. 81—to go by Way of Amsterdam.” This is the first letter in Lb/JA/12 ( Adams Papers, Microfilms , Reel No. 100). For this Letterbook, see part 2 of the Introduction: “John Adams and His Letterbooks” (above)....
77From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 35, 4 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 4 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 409–410). printed : various American newspapers, including the Pennsylvania Gazette of 12 July and the Boston Independent Chronicle of 3 Aug. 1780. In this letter, which was read in Congress on 10 July, John Adams provided the text of a resolution adopted by the City of London on 22 March concerning the maintenance of a...
78From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 14 August 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to Congress a few of the public Papers, which contain all the News that is passing. As it is uncertain by what Vessell the Gentleman will go who takes this, the Conveyance is too precarious, to send any Thing which ought not to be known to the Enemy. We are waiting with an impatient Anxiety, to hear from America, the last Accounts from thence having been brought by...
79From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 4 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:177–178 . Replying to the president’s letter of 20 Oct. (above), John Adams acknowledged receiving his commissions and instructions and expressed his appreciation of the high honor done him. In regard to his mission, Adams declared that he was determined...
80From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 97, 19 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 19 July 1780. Dupl in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 207–209). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:869–870. In this letter, read in Congress on 26 Dec., John Adams repeated, in more detail, the reports on the Danish, Russian, and Swedish naval...
81From John Adams to the President of Congress, 1 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 1 February 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC, Misc. Papers , Reel No. 1, f. 244–254. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:244–248. In this letter, read in Congress on 19 Nov., John Adams provided an English translation of the Convention for an Armed...
82From John Adams to the President of Congress, 24 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 24 May 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 163–168. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:431–433. In this letter John Adams provided an English translation of Amsterdam’s address of 18 May to the States of Holland. The city’s deputies...
83From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 7 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to congress, all the News Papers, I have by me. Enough to shew that We have nothing very important here, at present. The French and British Fleets are again at Sea and We hourly expect Intelligence of a Second Battle. But our Expectations from America are still more interesting and anxious, having nothing from thence, since the 3d of July, except what is contained...
84John Adams to the president of Congress, 13 May 1784 (Adams Papers)
Since my last Arrival in Holland, I have not transmitted to Congress, the Details of the Politicks of this Court and Nation, nor of those neighbouring Courts which are exciting disputes with it. M r Dumas has been in the Habit and Train of that History and I have not thought fit to interrupt him: But if I Should reside here regularly, the whole Business of the Mission will of Course go through...
85From John Adams to the President of Congress, 17 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 17 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 319–329 printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:584–588. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It contains a full English translation of the memorial...
86From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 66, 13 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 13 May 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 47–49). LbC in John Thaxter’s hand ( Adams Papers ); notation by Thaxter: “NB. May 16th 1780. This day delivered to the Chevr. la Colombe Nos. 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, & 66—also three packets of News papers.” printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States ,...
87From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Zealand is still endeavouring to divert the Republick from its Interest and its Duty, to embarrass its Operations and involve it in disgrace and ruin. The Directors of the Company of Commerce, and that of Insurance, and a great Number of Merchants, established at Middlebourg in Zealand, have presented a Petition to the States General, to supplicate their high Mightinesses to try again the Way...
88The American Commissioners to the President of Congress, 22 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: Massachusetts Archives, National Archives (two); two transcripts: National Archives This will be delivered to you by Mr. Jonathan Loring Austin, who was sent the last Year express to France with the News of the Convention of Saratoga. He has resided chiefly in this Kingdom from that time, and has been employed, in...
89From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 14, 6 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 6 Oct. 1780. Dupl in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 285–287). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:83–84. Received by Congress on 29 Jan. 1781, this letter consisted of an English translation of the decree of 30 Aug. by Maria I, Queen of...
90From John Adams to the President of Congress, 17 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 17 October 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC, Misc. Papers , Reel No. 1, f. 423–426). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:782–783. Included in this letter, a duplicate, was an English translation of a placard issued at Utrecht on 3 Oct. against Aan...