America's First Dynasty: The Adamses, 1735-1918

by Richard Brookhiser

Richard Brookhiser has won a wide and loyal following for his stylish, pointed, and elegant biographies of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. In "America's First Dynasty," Brookhiser tells the story of America's longest and still greatest dynasty -- the Adamses, the only family in our history to play a leading role in American affairs for nearly two centuries. From John, the self-made, tough-minded lawyer who rose to the highest office in the government he helped create; to John Quincy, the child prodigy who grew up amid foreign royalty, followed his father to the White House, and later reinvented himself as a champion of liberty in Congress; to politician and writer Charles Francis, the only well-balanced Adams; to Henry, brilliant scholar and journalist -- the Adamses achieved longer-lasting greatness than any other American family. Brookhiser's canvass starts in colonial America, when John Adams had to teach himself the law and ride on horseback for miles to find clients. It does not end until after the "Titanic" sinks -- Henry had booked a room but changed his plans -- and World War I begins, with Henry near the action in France. The story of this single family offers a short course in the nation's history, because for nearly two hundred years Adams history was American history. The Adamses were accompanied by an impressive cast of characters, from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, to Andrew Jackson and Ulysses Grant, to Teddy Roosevelt. "America's First Dynasty" offers telling portraits of the great men of our past, and many of the women around them. John and Abigail's great love affair was destined to be repeated by their offspring and offspring's offspring.

As with any family, there was a darker side to the Adams story: many of its members were abject failures. Alcoholism was a familiar specter, and suicide was not unknown. Only one of the four great Adamses was a kind man and father; the others set standards so impossibly high that few of their children could meet them. Yet despite more than a century of difference from John to Henry, certain Adams traits remained the same. In the story of our first and still-greatest family, we can all see something of our own struggles with family, fate, and history.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, American History, Presidents, Politics, American

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father (Free Press 1996), is a senior editor at National Review and a columnist for The New York Observer.

Reviews

[Hubert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a great book to use as an introduction to the life and work of the Adamses. Relies on an active knowledge of main currents in American history from mid 1700s until World War I. Given that constraint, the reader does learn about the role of a political dynasty during the most formative periods of United States history.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting introduction to John Adams and his descendants. The writing is a little spotty in parts, but fine on the whole. Some sentences are clunky and could have used more editing to convey the point.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

More pundit than historian, Brookhiser allows himself a few too many "assessments," some clearly unsupported by any facts on the record. (And some clearly contradicted, as in "like his ancestors, he had trouble judging his peers," per JQA's son Charles Francis. This after grandpa John chose Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration, George Washington to lead the military and John Marshall to lead the Supreme Court, a smashing, 1.000 batting average in any book across some unique/complex areas. WTF!)

Still, he's a fine writer who's done a service by putting four generations of a truly extraordinary family into context, and linking their accomplishments, weaknesses and contributions to the American story. Highly readable, often informative and occasionally infuriating, Brookhiser tells a family tale that you couldn't make up.

[Louie Verile JR. · Rating 4 out of 5]

good overview on the family and a great way to get introduced to Charles and Henry

[BigHeadWalt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, but assumes facts not in evidence in several places... (John Adams's son drank himself to death because he was a homosexual?!?)
Enjoyed the book, but ...

[Scott R. McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author knows the material inside and out. He doesn't need to consult the primary sources any longer, but does anyway, and footnotes them. This is not a beginner's introduction to the Adams: it is a warm conversation with a specialist. Newbies may get lost in the subtext.

He freshly retells of John Adams, and does so as well with John Quincy. He's more of a defender of Charles Francis, and I'm not sure what to make of Henry Adams. I didn't know much about Henry Adams going in, and feel like I know him less now (remembering what I just wrote about Newbies to the subject at hand).

Excellent read for me. 5 stars. 4 stars for those haven't read as many Adams books as I have to date (10 I think, mostly on JQA).

[Joshua Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work of history should not stand alone as a reader's only contact with the Adamses, but it is an interesting and engrossing analysis of the life and times of this founding family. Brookheiser writes powerfully, clearly, and with no small amount of wit. There's not much more that you can ask of a book than that you put it down feeling enriched. Brookheiser accomplishes this.

[Ellen Kolb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's an entertaining and illuminating summary of one family's influence on America over four generations. Brookhiser puts the Adamses in context with each other and with the nation's history. He makes me want to reach for more detailed information about each man. Quick to read, hard to put down.

[Mark Mears · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating documentary of one of America’s greatest dynastic families. I would recommend it to anyone interested in history or needing a reminder that all families have successful members, never-do-wells, and those in between. In that and many other ways the Adams’ story can be inspiring.

[Glen Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent book. I feel like it was a bit of negative hit piece but was insightful. I enjoyed the critical analysis of all the personalities involved in the founding of our great nation. Nicely done.

[Norla Chee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only lightly skimmed last few chapters. Tired of the Adamses.

[Dano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read on the Adams’ dynasty. Started slow but picked up. Found out more about Henry that I didn’t know.

[Bull Market Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of one of Americas most history rich families. Very interesting and fact filled read. Makes you want to read more about each Adams individually .

[Jim Gallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a quick introduction to the highlights to four generations of the Adams Family, “America’s First Dynasty’ is an excellent choice. It chooses one figure from each of t first four generations, John, John Quincy, Charles Francis and Henry. It shows how the family morphed from revered politicians of action into respected historians who chronicled their own history for the rest of us.

Many know about the presidents, John and John Quincy, but few are familiar with Charles Francis’ critical role in the Civil war as American Ambassador to the Court of St. James during which he struggled to prevent British recognition of the Confederacy and delivery of warships to it, as well as his later representation of his country at the arbitration of claims arising out of the damage done by the C.S.S. Alabama. His dabbling in politics over, Charles Francis switched over the role of historian with his compilation of his father’s papers. As America changed the Adams family did with it. Recognizing that, in his day, politics was not the center of action that it had been previously, Henry made his career as an historian, professor and confident of political leaders, primarily John Hay and Theodore Roosevelt. Even though I have read much about the Adams family, I learned facts and recognized threads running through their lives. Alcoholism and suicide were multi-generational tragedies while irritating personalities remained a lingering trait. I had not been aware of Charles Francis’ dabbling in third party movements and the reasonableness of what may seem to us to be futile quests.

Author Richard Brookhiser has created an easy to read history of our First Dynasty and, through them, of our nation. He is somewhat opinionated in declaring their presidencies to be failures and the other family member to be interesting but not worthy of being featured in his book. With this noted I recommend it for any seeking a short introductory work either to stand alone or to commence your study of this remarkable family.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Brookhiser has written biographies of Presidents Madison and Washington, revolutionary statesmen Hamilton and Gouvernor Morris, and most recently a book on Lincoln, but my favorite of his biographies that I have read is America's First Dynasty: The Adamses, 1735-1918. The dates alone, spanning three centuries, suggest the significance of this family on the history of the United States.

The first two of the dynasty, John and his son John Quincy both became President. The father was one of the leaders of the American Revolution while the son was both President and, later, member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts. John's grandson Charles Francis also had a brilliant political career that included a term as Minister to England in the Lincoln Administration. The fourth Adams of this dynasty, John's great grandson Henry Adams, found his greatness in literature both as an academic historian and with the publication of his autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, a classic that is read to this day.

Their story begins with John Adams, a self-taught lawyer who rode horseback to meet clients, and ends with Henry Adams in France as World War I begins and he returns to Washington, D. C. This is a well told overview of a family dynasty that more than any other helped make the United States the great nation it is today.

[Bart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very readable history of a the family that set America on her historic course and once set helped her maintain it.

[Jay Atwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a terribly impressive book. It was basically four 50-page character sketches of the Adamses. It lacked any sort of real depth about the events and concerns of the four individuals. For example, the Corrupt Bargain of 1824 involving John Quincy may have gotten two paragraphs & John's trouble with Alien & Sedition Acts may not have even been mentioned at all. Given the Presidents' treatment, there's no telling what was left out about the two lesser Adamses (which I admittedly am not well versed on.) Not a book I'll recommend to others.

[Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very intersting stuff. The author labels both Adams' presidencies as "a failure" and both of them the first losers in American politics. But he also paints their strengths with a fine brush, and covers the careers of both Charles and Henry Adams along the way. Well-written; engrossing. "The Education of Henry Adams" just made my to-read list.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author tries to add to much flourish to his writing. You can really tell this was written by a journalist and not an actual historian. Also, he makes broad declarations and then glosses over his support for them. Otherwise it was well researched with copious amounts of endnotes and provides interesting anecdotes. Just try not to take his conclusions to heart.

[Ryan Reese · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty well-written and informative, but who really wants to know everything about the Adams family. I mean John and JQ were cool guys, but I don't really know if I bought into the whole thesis of this one.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

At just over 200 pages to cover the lives of 4 generations, this contains little more than sketches of John, John Quincy, Charles Francis, and Henry Adams. The impression I got from Brookhiser is that these men did a handful of great things more or less in spite of themselves.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

An informative book, but the author's own political views are too palpable, and he seems to have a personal dislike for Henry Adams and, to a lesser extent, John Quincy Adams.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was too short to cover the four Adamses more than superficially.

[Jason Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for anyone looking for an introduction to one of Americas great families. Flawed but fascinating men.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice tidbits of the Adams clan... it didnt really grab me as a reader

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the Adams family. It's very superficial but that's probably all you want for Charles, Francis, and Henry. David McCullough is definitely the go to bio for John Adams.