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Library of America #293
Diaries 1779-1821: Boyhood in Europe / Harvard / The French Revolution / The Age of Jefferson / Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia / The War of 1812 and the Treaty of Ghent / Minister to Great Britain / The Missouri Compromise
The diary of John Quincy Adams is one of the most extraordinary works in American literature. Begun in 1779 at the age of twelve, kept more or less faithfully until his death almost 70 years later, and totaling some fifteen thousand closely-written manuscript pages, it is an unrivaled record of historical events and personalities from the nation’s founding to the antebellum era. It is also a masterpiece of American prose, tracing the spiritual, literary, and scientific interests of an exceptionally lively mind. Now, for the 250th anniversary of Adams’s birth, Library of America and historian David Waldstreicher have prepared a two-volume reader’s edition, presenting selections based for the first time on the original manuscripts, restoring personal and revealing passages suppressed in earlier editions.
The edition begins with Adams’s very first diary entries, written during the America Revolution, as he prepares to embark on a perilous wartime voyage to Europe with his father, diplomat John Adams, and records his early impressions of Franklin and Jefferson and of Paris in the waning days of the ancien régime. It details his eventful years of study at Harvard and as a law clerk, amid the controversy over the ratification of the new federal Constitution, and his emergence into the world of politics: as American minister to the Netherlands and to Prussia in the 1790s, and then as a stubbornly independent U.S. senator from Massachusetts during the Jefferson administration. And it reveals a young man at war with his passions before finding love with the remarkable Louisa Catherine Johnson.
In scenes evocative of War and Peace, the diary follows the young married couple to St. Petersburg, where as U.S. minister Adams is a witness to Napoleon’s fateful invasion of Russia. Its account of the negotiations to end the War of 1812 at Ghent, where Adams leads the American delegation, may be the most detailed and dramatic picture of a diplomatic confrontation ever recorded. From Ghent, Adams moves to Paris, where he observes the tumult of Napoleon’s brief return to power and final fall in June 1815.
As Volume 1 concludes, Adams, now secretary of state under James Monroe, takes the fore in a fractious cabinet and emerges as the principal architect of the Monroe Doctrine, one of the most consequential geopolitical statements in history. The diary achieves possibly its greatest force in its prescient foreshadowing of the Civil War and Emancipation, a collective “object,” as Adams describes it during the Missouri Crisis of 1820, “vast in its compass, awful in its prospects, sublime and beautiful in its issue.”
A companion Library of America volume presents diary selections from 1821 to 1848.
The edition begins with Adams’s very first diary entries, written during the America Revolution, as he prepares to embark on a perilous wartime voyage to Europe with his father, diplomat John Adams, and records his early impressions of Franklin and Jefferson and of Paris in the waning days of the ancien régime. It details his eventful years of study at Harvard and as a law clerk, amid the controversy over the ratification of the new federal Constitution, and his emergence into the world of politics: as American minister to the Netherlands and to Prussia in the 1790s, and then as a stubbornly independent U.S. senator from Massachusetts during the Jefferson administration. And it reveals a young man at war with his passions before finding love with the remarkable Louisa Catherine Johnson.
In scenes evocative of War and Peace, the diary follows the young married couple to St. Petersburg, where as U.S. minister Adams is a witness to Napoleon’s fateful invasion of Russia. Its account of the negotiations to end the War of 1812 at Ghent, where Adams leads the American delegation, may be the most detailed and dramatic picture of a diplomatic confrontation ever recorded. From Ghent, Adams moves to Paris, where he observes the tumult of Napoleon’s brief return to power and final fall in June 1815.
As Volume 1 concludes, Adams, now secretary of state under James Monroe, takes the fore in a fractious cabinet and emerges as the principal architect of the Monroe Doctrine, one of the most consequential geopolitical statements in history. The diary achieves possibly its greatest force in its prescient foreshadowing of the Civil War and Emancipation, a collective “object,” as Adams describes it during the Missouri Crisis of 1820, “vast in its compass, awful in its prospects, sublime and beautiful in its issue.”
A companion Library of America volume presents diary selections from 1821 to 1848.
921 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 20, 2017
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About the author
John Quincy Adams
493 books44 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Quincy^^Adams
John Quincy Adams as secretary of state from 1817 to 1825 helped to formulate the Monroe Doctrine of James Monroe; he served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829 and after his presidency from 1831 to 1848 in the House of Representatives advocated anti-slavery measures.
This diplomat and politician affiliated with Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Abigail Smith Adams bore John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, later the second president of United States. Many international negotiations most famously involved him as a diplomat.
He proposed a grand program of modernization and educational advancement but lacked ability to get it through Congress. Late in life as a congressman, he led opponents of the slave power and argued that if a civil war ever broke, then war powers of the president ably abolished slavery; Abraham Lincoln followed this policy in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.
To date, only this president of the United States subsequently served as a congressman.
John Quincy^^Adams
John Quincy Adams as secretary of state from 1817 to 1825 helped to formulate the Monroe Doctrine of James Monroe; he served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829 and after his presidency from 1831 to 1848 in the House of Representatives advocated anti-slavery measures.
This diplomat and politician affiliated with Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Abigail Smith Adams bore John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, later the second president of United States. Many international negotiations most famously involved him as a diplomat.
He proposed a grand program of modernization and educational advancement but lacked ability to get it through Congress. Late in life as a congressman, he led opponents of the slave power and argued that if a civil war ever broke, then war powers of the president ably abolished slavery; Abraham Lincoln followed this policy in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.
To date, only this president of the United States subsequently served as a congressman.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 19, 2024
John Quincy Adams In The Library Of America: 1779 -- 1821
For many years I have been interested in American history and have been particularly fascinated by John Quincy Adams. (1767 -- 1848) I have read biographies of Adams and histories of his era. I was gratified that the Library of America has published a two-volume set of entries from the diary that Adams kept assiduously for most of his life. The LOA published the set to coincide with the 250 anniversary of Adams' birth, and it also kindly sent me a copy of the set to review.
John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, the second president, and Abigail Adams. Much was expected from him as the child of demanding, highly accomplished parents. He served as the sixth president but had a long, highly eventful career both before and after his presidency. At the behest of his father, Adams began keeping a diary early in his adolescence. The diary ultimately consisted of more than 15,000 pages in 51 manuscript volumes. As outlined in the "Note on the Texts" to this volume, earlier selections from the diary have been published over the years. The LOA anthology was prepared and edited by David Waldstreicher, Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Unlike earlier editions of the Diary, Waldstreicher presents both Adams' public life and his private life in his selections. The result in this first volume is outstanding. The book offers a portrait of Adams and his times.
The volume begins in 1779 with Adams' first diary entry at the age of 12 and concludes in March, 1821, with the beginning of James Monroe's second term as president. Adams was Monroe's Secretary of State for both terms. The book allows the reader to follow Adams and his growth. Most of the earlier diary entries are short. But as an adult, Adams spent a great deal of time writing his diary. The entries are long and detailed and often include extensive quotations of discussions Adams had with others about important issues. The diaries also show a highly reflective individual deeply involved with his religion and interested in science, philosophy, literature, and music. Adams also engaged in introspection about himself and his own character and shortcomings. The entries also show Adams in his relationship to his wife, Louisa, his children, and his famous parents. Adams wrote the diaries for himself and for his family and not for public reading. Thus, throughout the extensive writings, he tries to be honest with himself.
If there is a single theme running through the diaries, it would be Adams' insistence on his independence. In an entry of January, 1802, when Adams' was name was first raised for a political career. Adams wrote: " I feel strong temptation and have great provocation to plunge into political controversy -- But I hope to preserve myself from it, by the considerations which have led me to the resolution of renouncing -- A politician in this Country must be the man of a party -- I would fain be the man of my whole Country."
Adams' independence, integrity, and curmudgeonly character come through in the diary. This book is divided into seven sections. The first covers 1779 -- 1793 and shows the precocious over-achiever overseas in the company of his father, at Harvard, and as a young attorney in search of himself who might well have been happier in a different, more scholarly or reflective career. In the second chapter, 1794 -- 1801, Adams fills diplomatic posts under the first two presidents and courts and marries Louise Johnson. (The courtship is not fully described in the diary entries here). Chapter 3, 1802 -- 1809, focuses on Adams' career as a Senator during the Jefferson Administration. Adams showed his independence by breaking ranks with the Federalist Party and supporting Jefferson on a controversial trade embargo in the course of the dealings that lead to the War of 1812. Chapter 4, 1809 -- 1814, covers Adams' tenure as a diplomat in St. Petersburg and offers a full portrait of his personal and career struggles during this period. It also includes Adams' reflections on the War of 1812 and on Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Chapter 5 covers the years 1814 -- 1815 and includes Adams' highly detailed diary entries on his role as lead negotiator in concluding the peace ending the War of 1812. The entries offer a detailed view of diplomatic squabbling and personality differences, including Adams' difficult relationship with his fellow-negotiator, Henry Clay. The sixth chapter, 1815 -- 1817, shows Adams in London negotiating commercial treaties. In the seventh and longest chapter, 1817 -- 1821, Adams describes his life during his tenure as Secretary of State in Monroe's first term. These entries describe Adams' accomplishments in negotiating important treaties with Spain and Britain in expanding the boundaries of the United States. The diaries also show the contentious, intriguing character of American politics during the time, even though the Monroe years misleadingly are characterized as the "Era of Good Feeling." Adams often was at odds with other members of Monroe's cabinet and with members of Congress, including Henry Clay. The diaries offer detailed descriptions of Adams' service as Secretary of State which are invaluable for those interested in the period. They also continue Adams' reflections on religion, science, and literature.
As the diary progresses, the issue of slavery assumes increasing prominence. Many of the latter entries in this volume involve the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Adams at first is reluctant to take a public position on the matter. As he reflects, he becomes increasingly concerned with slavery and the essential role slavery played in allowing the formation of the Constitution. Adams becomes openly hostile to slavery and expresses many fears that it will lead to the division of the Union into two or perhaps three sections. He suggests that the ideal solution would be a new Constitutional Convention to put slavery to rest, but he knows this will not happen. Adams reluctantly supports the Missouri Compromise but fears an ultimate division in the country. His concern with slavery will deepen and continue through the remainder of his life.
There is a great deal in this volume about Adams, his times, and about the life of the mind. I enjoyed, for example, Adams' reflections on Plato's "Laws" which he read in St. Petersburg in November 1811. He writes: "As my acquaintance with Plato becomes more intimate, my admiration of his genius, and my regret for his errors increases -- I lament that I had not sought this intimacy sooner, and more assiduously. ... His argument upon the nature and nature of the Gods, upon the immortality of the Soul, and upon future rewards and punishments is inferior to nothing but Christianity; and stronger [in the "Laws"] than in the Phaedo. ..... I hope to be yet, much better acquainted with Plato."
Waldstreicher has prepared a detailed chronology of Adams' life which will help the reader follow Adams' text. The book also includes helpful explanatory notes. This is an excellent volume for readers interested in the American experience who wish to deepen their acquaintance with John Quincy Adams.
Robin Friedman
For many years I have been interested in American history and have been particularly fascinated by John Quincy Adams. (1767 -- 1848) I have read biographies of Adams and histories of his era. I was gratified that the Library of America has published a two-volume set of entries from the diary that Adams kept assiduously for most of his life. The LOA published the set to coincide with the 250 anniversary of Adams' birth, and it also kindly sent me a copy of the set to review.
John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, the second president, and Abigail Adams. Much was expected from him as the child of demanding, highly accomplished parents. He served as the sixth president but had a long, highly eventful career both before and after his presidency. At the behest of his father, Adams began keeping a diary early in his adolescence. The diary ultimately consisted of more than 15,000 pages in 51 manuscript volumes. As outlined in the "Note on the Texts" to this volume, earlier selections from the diary have been published over the years. The LOA anthology was prepared and edited by David Waldstreicher, Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Unlike earlier editions of the Diary, Waldstreicher presents both Adams' public life and his private life in his selections. The result in this first volume is outstanding. The book offers a portrait of Adams and his times.
The volume begins in 1779 with Adams' first diary entry at the age of 12 and concludes in March, 1821, with the beginning of James Monroe's second term as president. Adams was Monroe's Secretary of State for both terms. The book allows the reader to follow Adams and his growth. Most of the earlier diary entries are short. But as an adult, Adams spent a great deal of time writing his diary. The entries are long and detailed and often include extensive quotations of discussions Adams had with others about important issues. The diaries also show a highly reflective individual deeply involved with his religion and interested in science, philosophy, literature, and music. Adams also engaged in introspection about himself and his own character and shortcomings. The entries also show Adams in his relationship to his wife, Louisa, his children, and his famous parents. Adams wrote the diaries for himself and for his family and not for public reading. Thus, throughout the extensive writings, he tries to be honest with himself.
If there is a single theme running through the diaries, it would be Adams' insistence on his independence. In an entry of January, 1802, when Adams' was name was first raised for a political career. Adams wrote: " I feel strong temptation and have great provocation to plunge into political controversy -- But I hope to preserve myself from it, by the considerations which have led me to the resolution of renouncing -- A politician in this Country must be the man of a party -- I would fain be the man of my whole Country."
Adams' independence, integrity, and curmudgeonly character come through in the diary. This book is divided into seven sections. The first covers 1779 -- 1793 and shows the precocious over-achiever overseas in the company of his father, at Harvard, and as a young attorney in search of himself who might well have been happier in a different, more scholarly or reflective career. In the second chapter, 1794 -- 1801, Adams fills diplomatic posts under the first two presidents and courts and marries Louise Johnson. (The courtship is not fully described in the diary entries here). Chapter 3, 1802 -- 1809, focuses on Adams' career as a Senator during the Jefferson Administration. Adams showed his independence by breaking ranks with the Federalist Party and supporting Jefferson on a controversial trade embargo in the course of the dealings that lead to the War of 1812. Chapter 4, 1809 -- 1814, covers Adams' tenure as a diplomat in St. Petersburg and offers a full portrait of his personal and career struggles during this period. It also includes Adams' reflections on the War of 1812 and on Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Chapter 5 covers the years 1814 -- 1815 and includes Adams' highly detailed diary entries on his role as lead negotiator in concluding the peace ending the War of 1812. The entries offer a detailed view of diplomatic squabbling and personality differences, including Adams' difficult relationship with his fellow-negotiator, Henry Clay. The sixth chapter, 1815 -- 1817, shows Adams in London negotiating commercial treaties. In the seventh and longest chapter, 1817 -- 1821, Adams describes his life during his tenure as Secretary of State in Monroe's first term. These entries describe Adams' accomplishments in negotiating important treaties with Spain and Britain in expanding the boundaries of the United States. The diaries also show the contentious, intriguing character of American politics during the time, even though the Monroe years misleadingly are characterized as the "Era of Good Feeling." Adams often was at odds with other members of Monroe's cabinet and with members of Congress, including Henry Clay. The diaries offer detailed descriptions of Adams' service as Secretary of State which are invaluable for those interested in the period. They also continue Adams' reflections on religion, science, and literature.
As the diary progresses, the issue of slavery assumes increasing prominence. Many of the latter entries in this volume involve the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Adams at first is reluctant to take a public position on the matter. As he reflects, he becomes increasingly concerned with slavery and the essential role slavery played in allowing the formation of the Constitution. Adams becomes openly hostile to slavery and expresses many fears that it will lead to the division of the Union into two or perhaps three sections. He suggests that the ideal solution would be a new Constitutional Convention to put slavery to rest, but he knows this will not happen. Adams reluctantly supports the Missouri Compromise but fears an ultimate division in the country. His concern with slavery will deepen and continue through the remainder of his life.
There is a great deal in this volume about Adams, his times, and about the life of the mind. I enjoyed, for example, Adams' reflections on Plato's "Laws" which he read in St. Petersburg in November 1811. He writes: "As my acquaintance with Plato becomes more intimate, my admiration of his genius, and my regret for his errors increases -- I lament that I had not sought this intimacy sooner, and more assiduously. ... His argument upon the nature and nature of the Gods, upon the immortality of the Soul, and upon future rewards and punishments is inferior to nothing but Christianity; and stronger [in the "Laws"] than in the Phaedo. ..... I hope to be yet, much better acquainted with Plato."
Waldstreicher has prepared a detailed chronology of Adams' life which will help the reader follow Adams' text. The book also includes helpful explanatory notes. This is an excellent volume for readers interested in the American experience who wish to deepen their acquaintance with John Quincy Adams.
Robin Friedman
June 4, 2025
This was a great read, full of history and personal introspection. What most amazed me was how many historical milestones (Waterloo, the war of 1812, the Missouri compromise) became less mythical and more topical, more real, as if I were watching the news. And like today, Adams captures the feeling of true divisiveness the country was feeling. I’m looking forward to volume 2.
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August 4, 2017Biog A2142w 2017
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews