10111John Adams to Abigail Adams, 9 March 1797 (Adams Papers)
I have no Letter this Week and begin to fear that your Respect to our late P. has laid a foundation for a Sick Spring and Summer. Sometimes too I am jealous of unfair Play in the Post office to prevent me from hearing from you at the most critical Period of my Life. The public Papers must give you an Account of Proceedings, which I am wholly unable to describe. What Judgment is form’d of my...
101121779 December 15. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
This Morning We arose at 5 or 6 O Clock, went over in a Boat, and mounted our Mules. Thirteen of them in Number and two Mulateers —one of whom went before for a Guide and the other followed after, to pick up Stragglers. We rode over very bad roads, and very high Mountains, where We had a very extensive Country, appearing to be a rich Soil and well cultivated but very few Plantations of Trees.—...
10113[Notes of Debates, Continued] Octr. 10. (Adams Papers)
Who shall have the Appointment of the Officers in the 2 Battallions to be raised in New Jersey? Sherman. Best to leave it to the Provincial Conventions. Ward seconds the Motion. Chace. This is persisting in Error in Spight of Experience. We have found by Experience that giving the Choice of Officers to the People, is attended with bad Consequences. The French Officers are allowed to exceed any...
10114Adams’ Minutes of the Trial: Essex Superior Court, Salem, November 1771 (Adams Papers)
Pynchon. Grant of Ipswich or rather Jurisdiction between the Towns from Glocester Town Book. 1642. And from the Province Sec reta ry. 1767. Perambulation, from Gloucester between there and Ipswich. Jacob Story. Perambulated for 20 Years. We did not go to the Marsh. Wm. Butler. Wm. Choate. The Line a Mile in the nearest Place I should think. People freely dug. Lufkin. Freely dug. People on...
10115John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Benjamin Smith of S. Carolina, was kind enough to send forward from New York, your Favour of August 14 and it came safely to Hand to day. There is nothing in it, about “your Herbs,” which in your Letter of the Eighteenth instant, you wish me to remember. I am yet at a loss for your Meaning. Mr. Gerry carried a Cannister of India Herb for you, which I hope you received. Pray let me know...
10116From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 2 September 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a petition of George Schaffer Daniel Swarts, Henry Stahler, Christian Rhodes & Henry Shafford for a pardon of their crimes to which is subjoined a petition in their favor signed by many. I pray you to consider this with a number of others I sent you sometime ago & say whether I ought to give any answer. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
10117From John Adams to Young Men of Boston, 22 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
It is impossible for you to enter your own Fanuel Hall, or to throw your Eyes on the variagated Mountains and elegant Islands around you, without recollecting the Principles and Actions of your Fathers and feeling what is due to their Example, One of their most important Principles was to unite in themselves the Character of Citizens and Soldiers, and especially to preserve the latter always...
10118From John Adams to United States Congress, 20 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed report to me, made by the Acting Secretary of War, on the 14 of this month, appears to be so well founded in all respects, that I recommend it to the consideration of Congress DNA : RG 46—Records of the U.S. Senate.
10119Adams’ Notes of Authorities and Minutes of the Hearing: Governor and Council, Boston, 17 October 1771 (Adams Papers)
Godolphin’s Repertorium Canonicum 507. “Wife libelled Husband in the Ecclesiastical Court for Alimony because he beat her so as she could not live with him. A Prohibition was prayed, but denied by the Court; and it was held in this Case, that the Wife might have the Peace vs. her Husband for unreasonable Correction.” Sir Thos. Simmonds Case. Mores Rep. 508. §13. Definition of Alimony, and...
10120Proclamation, 22 July 1797 (Adams Papers)
Whereas an act of the Congress of the United States was passed on the 9th day of February, 1793, entitled “An act regulating foreign coins, and for other purposes,” in which it was enacted “that foreign gold and silver coins shall pass current as money within the United States and be a legal tender for the payment of all debts and demands” at the several and respective rates therein stated;...
10121From John Adams to James Drake, 18 April 1797 (Adams Papers)
I sent 600 dollars this morning to the Bank to purchase a Postnote and they sent me the inclosed. I hope it will answer your purpose: But it is not exactly as I wished and intended. You will please acknowlege the rest of it by return of Post I am Sir your obliged servant MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
10122From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 17 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
I was not long at the Adelphi, but soon removed to private lodgings, which by the way were ten times more public, and took apartments at Mr. Stokdale’s, in Piccadilly, where Mr. Laurens had lately lodged before me.Here I had a great opportunity of learning, for Dr. Bret was at the next door, the state of the current literature of London. I will not enlarge upon this subject at present, if...
10123From John Adams to Robert R. Livingston, 16 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday we waited on the Comte de Vergennes at Versailles, and shew him the Project of a Letter to the Ministers of the two Imperial Courts, which he read and approved. We told him, that we were at a loss what might be the effect of the Mediation—possibly we might be involved in difficulties by it—possibly the British Ministers might persuade the Mediators to offer Us their Advice upon some...
10124From John Adams to James Freeman, 11 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have just now recd. your kind favor of the 9th. and thank You for the Communication of Dr. Waterhouse’s Letter, which has been a very agreable Entertainment to me. I am very glad of Gillon’s success, and that so candid and sensible a Judge as the Dr. still retains his Charity for him. Am much obliged by your Congratulations on the prosperous Appearance of our affairs. I have just recd....
10125From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 30 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return signed all the blank commissions sent me with your letter of the 25th and am content you should fill up as many of them as are necessary with the names of the gentlemen you mention I have the honor to be Sir your most obedt. / st. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
10126Sunday. April 8th. 1759. (Adams Papers)
Spent the Evening at Captain Bracketts. A Case was proposed and my Opinion asked, which gave me Opportunity to display some Knowledge of Law but betrayed me into mistaken Dogmatism. I frequently expose my Ignorance of the Province Law, but things are started that put me upon Exn. Examination . Coll. Q. I value not the Governor’s favours, more than this Pinch of Snuff, in Comparison of my...
10127From John Adams to Jonathan Jackson, 20 August 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of this day. Col Dawes has declined his appointment—if you can suggest to me a proper person to fill his place, I shall be much obliged to you. Cannot the other commissioners meet & go on till a successor can be appointed to Mr. Dawes? I know of no man so fit, but he is a freeman, & cannot be compelled to serve.—I shall be at all times glad to see you. your friend...
10128From John Adams to United States Senate, 30 November 1797 (Adams Papers)
I nominate Chauncey Whittlesey to be Collector of the Customs for the District of Middletown in Connecticut, in the Place of George Phillips, Superceeded DNA : RG 46—Records of the U.S. Senate.
10129From John Adams to John Jay, 4 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
A day or two after the receipt of your Letter of Nov r. 1 st. & that of President Lee. which came with it I wrote to the archbishop of Canterbury, by Col o. Smith, for an Hour when I might have the Honour to pay my Respects to his Grace—And was answerd very politely that he would be glad to have the Honour of seeing me, next day, between Eleven & twelve, accordingly I went Yesterday & was very...
10130John Adams to Abigail Adams, 13 March 1797 (Adams Papers)
I am So constantly engaged in Business most of which is new to me, that it Seems as if it was impossible to find time to write even to you— Yet I believe I write every Post. It proves to be a tedious Business to clear the Presidents house for me. I am now told it will not be ready this Week. You will See by the Gazette how the new Pensilvania House is disposed of. The Weather is bad— I have a...
101311779 December 19. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Dined, with Monsieur De Tournelle the French Consul, in Company, with all my Family, the Regent, or President of the Sovereign Court of the Province of Galicia, the Attorney General, the Administrator of the Kings Revenue of Tobacco, and the Commandant of Artillery, Mr. Lagonaore, &c. We had every Luxury, but the Wines were Bourdeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Sherry, Alicante, Navarre, and Vin de...
10132From John Adams to the Foreign Affairs Committee, 24 December 1777 (Adams Papers)
Having been absent from this State, I had not the Honour of your Favour of December 3d. untill the 22d. when it was delivered to me with its Inclosures vizt. a Letter from the President to the Navy Board at Boston, and a private Letter of Decr. 8. from Mr. Lovell. At the Same Time I received a Packett, directed to Benjamin Franklin Arthur Lee and John Adams Esqrs. Commissioners of the United...
10133John Adams to Abigail Adams, 4 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have ordered the Things you desired for yourself and Mr. Tufts by Captain Edward Davis in the Brig Dolphin. They are very dear, as you will see. I insured them at 25 per Cent. The French and Spaniards have at length, made a Hall as the saying is of 40 or 50 ships at once from the English. A few more such strokes will answer a very good End. But not make Peace. This will never be while the...
10134From John Adams to Susanna Boylston Adams Clark Treadway, 8 January 1819 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 25th of December has given me new life You know not how much I have suffered from your long and total silence If you have not christened my dear little GGD by the name of Susanna Maria I shall be disappointed and greived I cannot bear Susan Maria Susan! It is worse than Sukey or Sue Susanna Maria sounds melodiously in my ear In this horrid blot see another proof of the...
10135From John Adams to Daniel Jackson, 23 October 1798 (Adams Papers)
The firewards of the town of Boston have requested permission to deposit at castle Island a quantity of Gunpowder now lying in the harbor of Boston and more that is soon expected to arrive. As I can foresee no material inconvenience from granting from such permission. I request that you would give orders that for such gun powder as the firewards shall desire to be deposited at the castle, at...
10136From John Adams to Robert Wharton, 23 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
Never, as I can recollect, were any Class of my Fellow Citizens more wellcome to me, on any occasion, than the Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Philadelphia, upon this. At a time, when all the old Republics of Europe are crumbling into Dust, and others forming whose Destinies are dubious; when the Monarchies of the Old World are, Some of them fallen, and others trembling to their...
10137From John Adams to John Jay, 30 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have received, the Letter you did me, the Honour to write me, on the Sixth of June, with the Ratification of the Treaty with Prussia. As the Term limited, is near expiring, I Shall go over to Holland or Send Col Smith, to make the Exchange M r Penn, a Member of the House of Commons, whose Character is well known in America and in England as a Steady Friend, to our Country will be the Bearer...
10138John Adams to Charles Adams, 4 December 1790 (Adams Papers)
Although I am much obliged to you for your kind Letter of the Second, and the News and Observations in it; I am dissappointed in not receiving you as I expected, instead of a Letter. I thought it was Sufficiently explained and understood between Us, that you were to be at Philadelphia on the first monday in December. But as it now appears otherwise I desire you to loose no time in coming on;...
10139John Adams to Franklin and John Jay, 27 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library; copy: Massachusetts Historical Society As I am informed that next Wednesday is appointed for the Signature of the definitive Treaties of Peace, I Suppose it will be thought proper to think of Some Conveyance of the Ratification of the Provisional Treaty, and of the Original of our definitive Treaty as Soon as it Shall be Signed to Congress. By what Vessell it...
10140Wednesday [11 October]. (Adams Papers)
Rode to Boston. Conversed with Ned Quincy and Saml., Peter Chardon &c. By the Way Peter Chardon is a promising Youth. He aspires, and will reach to a considerable Height. He has a sense of the Dignity and Importance of his Profession, that of the Law. He has a just Contempt of the idle, incurious, Pleasure hunting young fellows of the Town, who pretend to study Law. He scorns the Character,...
10141From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 18 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have just now received your kind Letter of the 3 d of this month. I read every Thing which falls in my Way, which relates to the French Revolution: but I Suffer inexpressible Pains, from the bloody feats of War and Still more from those of Party Passions. Disgrace to the Cause of Liberty, and a general Depravation of hearts and manners among the rising Generation, is much to be dreaded from...
10142From John Adams to C. W. F. Dumas, 27 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
Since I had the Honour to communicate to you my Commission to their High mightiness, by which the general Affairs of America, in this Republick come under my direction, you may possibly be at some Uncertainty about your own Situation and the Continuance of that Small annual Sum which you have heretofore received from the Commissioners and the Minister at the Court of Versailles. In order to...
10143Adams’ Minutes of the Evidence: Barnstable Superior Court, May 1767 (Adams Papers)
Certificate Mr. Fessenden. A Lye of his own making, and he had set their Names to it. Jennings. Memento. } Deps. Bassett. Ellis. In JA ’s hand. Adams Papers, Microfilms , Reel No. 185. See text at note 5 above. See note above. See text at
10144From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 9 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I was favoured, in due time with yours of 17. Septr, but have not been able to acknowledge it, till now. The late Transaction you allude to is this, a new Commission for Peace. J. Adams, B. Franklin, H. Laurens, J. Jay, and T. Jefferson are the Ministers. I dont See that this is any Tryal at all of Spirit and Fortitude,—it is more honourable than before and, much more easy. I assure you it has...
10145John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 28 July 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a National Register, to convince you that the Essex Register is not to blame for printing the Mecklenburg County Resolutions, on the Contrary I think it to be commended—for if those Resolutions were genuine they ought to be published in every Gazette in the world—If they are one of those tricks which our fashionable Men in England call hoax’es and boares —they ought to be printed...
10146From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 27 December 1810 (Adams Papers)
It was but yesterday that I was able to obtain the inclosed Review of Works of Mr Ames, which you or rather your Son wished to See. You and I, are So much better employed that I presume Political Pamphlets are Beneath your Notice as well as mine. You are employed in healing the sick and extending the Empire of Science and Humanity. I, in reading Romances in which I take incredible Delight. I...
10147From John Adams to United States Senate, 20 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
I request of the Senate that the letter and journal of our late envoys to France and the copy of their instructions and other documents relative to that negotiation may be returned to me or to the Office of State. Printed Source--A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897. 10 vols. (Washington, 1896-1899)..
10148From John Adams to Nathanael Greene, 22 June 1776 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of the second Instant has lain by me, I suppose these Eighteen days, but I fear I shall often have occasion to make Apologies for Such omissions, which will never happen from Want of Respect, but I fear very often for Want of Time. Your Reasoning, to prove the Equity, and the Policy of making Provision for the Unfortunate Officer, or soldier, is extreamly just, and cannot be...
10149From John Adams to United States Senate, 1 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
Message of the President with Military Nominations Benjamin Easely Georgia Captain Benjamin F. Trapier South Carolina ditto Noah Kelsey Georgia. ditto Zachariah Nettles South Carolina ditto John Mitchell ditto ditto John Brown ditto First Lieutenant Charles Boyle
10150To John Jay from John Adams, 6 March 1821 (Jay Papers)
The sight of your hand writing and your name is to me a cordial for low spirits. I wish I could give you a Specimen of mine as beautifully written; but a pen will not obey the command of my paralytick nerves. The 5 th Vol: of D r . Franklin’s works, mentioned in your Kind letter of 27 th . February. I have never seen, nor any preceding Vol: except the first. What the Editor M r . William...
10151From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 22 January 1825 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 8th. has revived me—It is true, that my hearing has been very good, but the last year it has decayed so much, that I am in a worse situation than you are, I cannot hear any of the common conversation of my family, without calling upon them to repeat in a louder tone. The presidential election has given me less anxiety than I, myself could have imagined, The next...
10152From John Adams to William Gray, 25 July 1815 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a Letter for Major Sweet. I leave it open, that he may shew it at his discretion in France. He may shew it to Monsieur Le Ray de Chaument, to the Count Marbois, to Mr Benjamin Beale, or to the whom he will.— My old Friends in France, (and I had Some) are all dead. I would venture to write to the Gentlemen above mentioned: but my Eyes and hands admonish me to forbear. If Major Sweet...
10153From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 13 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 6th. and considered the copy of instructions to Mrs. King, which have been examined and unanimously approved by the heads of departments. I am very well satisfied with them on the whole though, I wish that in the tenth article, you would introduce another idea in corroboration. As a principal mean of annoying a maratime commercial ennemy would be our...
10154John Adams. (Adams Papers)
Begun Oct. 5. 1802. As the Lives of Phylosophers, Statesmen or Historians written by them selves have generally been suspected of Vanity, and therefore few People have been able to read them without disgust; there is no reason to expect that any Sketches I may leave of my own Times would be received by the Public with any favour, or read by individuals with much interest. The many great...
10155From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 26 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
I shall expect your long letter; but I ought not to wish it with impatience: for you have such demands upon you for your time that I wonder how you can spare any to write answers to my impertinances, the astonishment of your family at my vivacity—is very just—Rochefaucault says when a mans vivacity increases with years it becomes frenzy at last nothing is indeed more ridiculous than an old man...
10156From John Adams to James Madison, 17 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
I beg leave to introduce to You Col. William Sumner; and to Mrs Madison, his Sister, Miss Elizabeth Sumner, Children of our late Governor Sumner. They have requested an Introduction from me. And as I think it right that the President should know, and that his Family Should know Something of the Characters who appear at Washington; I beg leave to say, that Mr Sumner has the Advantages of...
10157John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
I have received your very agreable Favours of June 22d. and 25th. They contain more particulars than any Letters I had before received from any Body. It is not at all surprizing to me that the wanton, cruel, and infamous Conflagration of Charlestown, the Place of your Fathers Nativity, should afflict him. Let him know that I sincerely condole with him, on that melancholly Event. It is a Method...
101581774. Tuesday March 8. (Adams Papers)
Last Night 28 Chests and an half of Tea were drowned. On orders, according to the Boston Gazette , 14 March, of “His Majesty OKNOOKORTUNKOGOG King of the Narranganset Tribe of Indians,” whose tribesmen “are now returned to Naragansett to make Report of their doings to his Majesty, who we hear is determined to honour them with Commissions for the Peace.”
10159From John Adams to Jedidiah Morse, 29 March 1809 (Adams Papers)
I cannot pretend to any extraordinary Knowledge of the History of this Country, or of what a general History of it ought to contain nor is my Letter written with Sufficient Care for publication: but as this is equally true of every other Thing of mine that has been published you are quite at Liberty to make what use of this you please. My Life has been passed in too much hurry to allow me to...
10160From John Adams to Peter Thatcher Vose, 25 December 1821 (Adams Papers)
I rejoice to have been introduced this morning, to the knowledge of a Gentleman, whose nativity was so near—and whose sentiments and feelings so much nearer to my own—whose names have been venerated by me all my Life time There is not a family in North America, who have transmited to their numerous Posterity even down to the present time, more of the Piety and Virtues, the literature and...