1639-1899; bulk: 1755-1889
Guide to the Microfilm Edition
Microfilming sponsored by the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Abstract
This collection consists of the correspondence, letterbooks, diaries, literary manuscripts, speeches, legal and business papers, and other papers of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Charles Francis Adams, as well as papers of many other Adams family members and incoming correspondence from hundreds of major and minor figures in America and Europe.
Collection Description
The Adams family papers consist of correspondence, letterbooks, diaries, literary manuscripts, speeches, legal and business papers, and other papers of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Charles Francis Adams, as well as papers of other family members, including Abigail Brooks Adams, Abigail Smith Adams, Brooks Adams, Charles Adams, Charles Francis Adams II, George Washington Adams, Henry Adams, John Adams II, John Quincy Adams II, Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, Thomas Boylston Adams, Abigail Adams Smith, and others. The collection also contains a large amount of incoming correspondence from hundreds of major and minor figures in America and Europe.
All known Adams family documents are cataloged in the Online Adams Catalog (OAC). The searchable database describes all Adams documents dating from 1639 to 1889 held by both the MHS and elsewhere. For items held by the MHS, once items of interest are identified, users should use this guide to request the corresponding microfilm reel(s) containing those items.
Acquisition Information
Gift of the Adams Manuscript Trust, 1956. The Adams Manuscript Trust was instituted in 1905 by the three surviving sons and one of the grandsons of Charles Francis Adams, in order to provide for the proper care and use of all the papers, public and private, of President John Adams, President John Quincy Adams, and Charles Francis Adams, together with the papers of their wives and children. The papers were on deposit at the Massachusetts Historical Society from the establishment of the trust until April 1956, when they were given to the MHS. The collection was microfilmed between 1954 and 1959.
Other Formats
Digital facsimiles of the Elise Charlotte Otté diary are available on Leisure, Travel & Mass Culture: The History of Tourism, a digital publication of Adam Matthew Digital, Inc. This digital resource is available at subscribing libraries; speak to your local librarian to determine if your library has access. The MHS makes this resource available onsite; see a reference librarian for more information.
Digital facsimiles of the Samuel Cooper Johonnot and Samuel Tucker journals are available on Life at Sea, a digital publication of Adam Matthew Digital, Inc. This digital resource is available at subscribing libraries; speak to your local librarian to determine if your library has access. The MHS makes this resource available onsite; see a reference librarian for more information.
The Adams Papers editorial project and Harvard University Press have published and continue to publish many volumes of Adams family papers. The volumes are arranged in four series: I. Diaries, II. Adams Family Correspondence, III. General Correspondence and Other Papers of the Adams Statesmen, and IV. Adams Family Portraits. See the Adams Papers's list of Volumes Published for more information.
The Adams Papers Digital Edition at the Massachusetts Historical Society contains all the content of the printed documentary editions of Revolutionary-era Adams Papers. Included in this digital edition is all the text of the historical documents, all editorial text, and a single index containing all entries from the printed Adams Papers indexes.
The John Quincy Adams Digital Diary contains verified and searchable transcriptions and page images of the 51-volume diary kept by John Quincy Adams from 1779 to 1848. Many more Adams family manuscripts have also been digitized for the Massachusetts Historical Society website, including correspondence between John and Abigail Adams and the diary and autobiography of John Adams. See the MHS's Adams Family Resources for a list of on-line resources.
The Adams family papers microfilm is available for purchase through:
UMI Research
Collections
789 E. Eisenhower Parkway
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346
1-800-521-0600
x2793
https://about.proquest.com/en/content-solutions/microform/
For a list of institutions holding this microfilm, see Microfilm Set Locations.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Diaries, 1755-1880
A. John Adams diaries, 1755-1804
18 Nov. 1755-5 July 1771
16 Dec. 1772-Aug. 1804
Copies of John Adams diaries by John Quincy Adams and Charles Francis Adams, 1755-1772
B. John Quincy Adams diaries, 1779-1848
12 Nov.-31 Dec. 1779
1 Jan.-31 Jan. 1780
25 July-30 Sep. 1780
9 June-27 Aug. 1781
27 Jan.-23 Nov. 1782
31 Dec. 1782-26 Feb. 1783
6-29 Aug. 1783, 20-22 Sep. 1783
20 Oct.-6 Dec. 1783, 8 Aug. 1784, 22 Aug. 1784, 13 Oct. 1784, 20 Mar. 1785
Almanac, 31 Dec. 1782-17 Oct. 1783
1 Jan. 1785-30 June 1786
1 July 1786-31 Oct. 1787
1 Nov. 1787-31 Dec. 1790
Almanac, 11 Jan.-31 Dec. 1788
Almanac, 1789
Almanac, 1790
Almanac, 1791
1 Apr.-5 May 1791, 13 Apr.-16 May 1792
Almanac, 1792
Almanac, 1793
3 June 1794-28 Feb. 1795
17 Sep.-31 Oct. 1794
Almanac, 1794
1 Jan. 1795-12 May 1801, 5 Aug. 1809-30 Apr. 1836
1 Mar. 1795-31 Dec. 1802
Almanac, 1800
Almanac, 1802
1 Jan. 1803-4 Aug. 1809
5 Aug. 1809-31 July 1813
1 Aug. 1813-31 May 1816
1 June 1816-31 Dec. 1818
1 Jan. 1819-20 Mar. 1821, 10 Nov.-6 Dec. 1824
21 Mar. 1821-7 Jan. 1822, 1 Apr.-30 Nov. 1822
"Diary in abridgment," 1 Dec. 1821-31 Dec. 1838
1 Jan. 1823-14 June 1824
25 Jan. 1823-Oct. 1826
1 Jan. 1825-30 Sep. 1830
11 Nov. 1825-24 June 1828
1 Oct. 1830-24 Mar. 1832
1 Dec. 1832-31 May 1835
1 June 1835-5 Dec. 1836
5 Dec. 1836-4 Jan. 1837, 29 July 1840-31 Dec. 1841
1 Jan. 1839-28 July 1840
1 Jan. 1842-8 July 1843
9 July 1843-31 Dec. 1844
1 Jan. 1845-10 Aug. 1846
"Rubbish I," diary and miscellaneous entries, 11 June 1829-31 Oct. 1833
"Rubbish II," diary and miscellaneous entries, 20 May 1820-31 July 1838
"Rubbish III," diary and miscellaneous entries, 19 Aug. 1823-31 Dec. 1826
"Rubbish IV," diary and miscellaneous entries, 1 Jan. 1827-Feb. 1848
C. Charles Francis Adams diaries, 1823-1880
18 Dec. 1823-21 Jan. 1824
22 Jan.-20 Feb. 1824
1 May-31 Oct. 1824
26 Nov. 1826-27 July 1827
31 July 1827-16 Oct. 1828
17 Oct. 1828-3 Sep. 1829
4 Sep. 1829-16 May 1830
17 May 1830-31 Dec. 1831
1 Jan. 1832-31 Dec. 1833
1 Jan. 1834-12 Dec. 1835
13 Dec. 1835-31 Aug. 1837
1 Sep. 1837-31 Dec. 1838
1 Jan. 1839-23 May 1841
24 May 1841-31 Aug. 1843
1 Sep. 1843-19 May 1845
20 May 1845-31 Dec. 1846
1 Jan. 1847-22 Apr. 1848
23 Apr.-13 Sep. 1848
14 Sep. 1848-31 Aug. 1850
1 Sep. 1850-16 Aug. 1852
17 Aug. 1852-31 Dec. 1855
1 Jan. 1856-2 Aug. 1859
3 Aug. 1859-9 Nov. 1860
10 Nov. 1860-31 Dec. 1861
1 Jan. 1862-30 Apr. 1864
1 May 1864-30 June 1865
1 July 1865-31 July 1866
1 Aug. 1866-30 Sep. 1867
1 Oct. 1867-30 Nov. 1868
1 Dec. 1868-31 May 1870
1 June 1870-28 Nov. 1871
29 Nov. 1871-31 Jan. 1873
1 Feb. 1873-25 Oct. 1874
26 Oct. 1874-31 July 1876
1 Aug. 1876-31 May 1878
1 June 1878-2 Nov. 1880
II. Letterbooks, 1755-1881
A. John Adams and Abigail Adams letterbooks, 1755-1826
This subseries includes one Abigail Adams letterbook (Reel 97) and one John Adams letterbook that also contains some earlier correspondence of John Quincy Adams (Reel 96). The rest of the letterbooks belonged to John Adams.
26 May 1776-8 Feb. 1778
2 June-1 Oct. 1776
3 Feb.-7 July 1777; expense account, Jan.-Sep. 1777
3 May 1778-12 Feb. 1779
12 May 1778-8 Nov. 1779, 15 Sep. 1788
Copies of letters from the French ministry to the American Peace Commission, 15 May 1778-8 Jan. 1779
3 June 1778-Feb. 1779; "private," 23 Mar. 1809-6 May 1814
"Public and private," 14 Nov. 1779-28 July 1780, preceded by John Quincy Adams letterbook, 29 May 1778-20 Feb. 1779
Abigail Adams letterbook, 18 Nov. 1779-Dec. 1780
Copies of letters to the president of Congress from Spain and France on armed neutrality, 11 Dec. 1779-5 June 1780
Copies of correspondence between the French ministry and the American Peace Commission, 12 Feb.-29 July 1780
Copies of letters to the president of Congress from the American Peace Commission, 10 June-14 Aug. 1780
Copies of letters to the president of Congress from Holland, 14 Aug. 1780-7 Feb. 1781; copies of letters to the "Author of Politique Hollandais," 22 Jan. 1782
"Private," 17 Aug. 1780-26 Apr. 1782
Copies of letters and documents of the American Peace Commission, Paris, 1780-1783
Copies of letters and documents of the mission in Holland, 29 Dec. 1780-29 Mar. 1782
Copies of letters to the French ministry on the mediation of the Imperial Courts, 7 July 1781-Jan. 1782
31 Mar. 1782-3 Aug. 1783, Holland; 10 Aug.-14 Sep. 1783, Paris
28 Apr. 1782-12 Dec. 1785
Copies of letters of the American Peace Commission, Paris, 31 Oct. 1782-8 Sep. 1783
Copies of state papers of the American Peace Commission, 4 Nov. 1782-12 June 1783
17 Nov. 1782-10 June 1783 (scattered entries)
"Public," 26 May 1785-28 Feb. 1786
"Public," 3 Dec. 1785-28 Feb. 1788
"Public and private," 12 Dec. 1785-2 Feb. 1788, 28 Aug. 1788
May-July 1789, Aug.-Oct. 1797, Feb. 1825-May 1826; transcripts of letters, 1755-1776; accounts with the U.S., 1789-1792
20 May 1789-7 Jan. 1793
25 Apr. 1793, 12 May 1793, 12 Sep. 1794; diary, 11 Jan.-28 Feb. 1781
18 Jan. 1797-22 Feb. 1799
"Public," 7 Mar.-20 June 1797; "private," 23 Mar. 1801-26 Nov. 1812
17 Oct. 1797-8 July 1799
10 July 1799-2 Mar. 1801
30 Nov. 1812-17 Apr. 1813
29 May 1814-7 Nov. 1816, preceded by account book, 13 Feb.-28 July 1780
13 Nov. 1816-12 Aug. 1819; account book, American Peace Commission, 16 Jan. 1777-23 Feb. 1779
18 Aug. 1819-20 Feb. 1825, preceded by journal of European bank drafts, 1785-1788
B. John Quincy Adams letterbooks, 1781-1848
"Private," May 1781-27 Sep. 1782
"Private," 30 May 1794-8 Feb. 1795
"Public," 30 May 1794-12 July 1795
"Private," 9 Feb. 1795-16 Feb. 1797
"Public," 12 July 1795-2 May 1798
25 Aug. 1795-14 Apr. 1796; "public and private," 16 Feb. 1797-14 Feb. 1798
"Private," letterpress copies, 26 Dec. 1795-30 May 1801
"Public," 30 May 1796-23 Dec. 1801
"Private," 17 Feb. 1798-6 July 1799
"Private," 9 July 1799-28 Apr. 1801
"Private," 7 Oct. 1801-5 June 1812, 8 Feb. 1814
"Public," 27 June 1809-5 Dec. 1812
Public documents and letters sent to the secretary of state, etc., 10 Oct. 1809-25 Oct. 1816, 14/26 Mar. 1810-Dec. 1815, 16 Apr.-26 Dec. 1814
"Public," 2 May 1810-17 July 1816
"Private," 5 Jan. 1811-9 May 1815
Official record of the U.S. commissions to St. Petersburg and Ghent, 6 May 1813-6 Jan. 1815
Copies of correspondence and documents, U.S. commission at Ghent and mission at London, 7 Aug. 1814-26 Apr. 1815, 11 May-9 June 1815, 7 Apr.-8 July 1815; "private," 27 Mar.-1 May 1831
"Public," 28 Feb. 1815-19 Mar. 1816; list of passports delivered, 9 June 1815-26 May 1817
"Private," 16 Mar. 1816-31 Jan. 1817, 9 May 1817-10 May 1818
"Public and private," 17 July 1816-10 June 1817, 26 Nov. 1817-27 Jan. 1823 (scattered entries), 18 Dec. 1830-22 Mar. 1831
"Private," 10 Sep. 1817-28 June 1819, 25 Oct. 1838, 5 Nov. 1838
"Public," 28 Sep. 1817-19 May 1831
"Private," 12 May 1818-7 May 1825
"Private," 10 Feb. 1825-13 Mar. 1829
"Private," 9 July 1826-13 Feb. 1830
"Private," 18 Feb. 1830-14 Sep. 1832
"Private," 12 Sep. 1832-12 Mar. 1834
"Private," 14 Mar. 1834-31 Dec. 1836
"Private," 1 Jan. 1837-22 Nov. 1839
"Private," 20 Nov. 1839-19 Nov. 1845
"Private," 22 Nov. 1845-4 Feb. 1848
C. Charles Francis Adams letterbooks, 1826-1881
10 Dec. 1826-26 Oct. 1828
20 Nov. 1828-13 Dec. 1836
25 Nov. 1829-14 Jan. 1847
26 Jan. 1841-8 Dec. 1848
12 Dec. 1848-18 Mar. 1851
8 Apr. 1851-27 Mar. 1856
1 Apr. 1856-23 Nov. 1859
16 Jan.-26 Oct. 1860
31 Oct. 1860-1 May 1861
17 May-5 Oct. 1861
2 Oct. 1861-10 Jan. 1862
11 Jan.-23 June 1862
25 June 1862-27 Feb. 1863
2 Mar.-21 Aug. 1863
21 Aug. 1863-5 Mar. 1864
5 Mar.-31 Oct. 1864
3 Nov. 1864-10 June 1865
12 June 1865-22 Feb. 1866
22 Feb. 1866-19 Mar. 1867
19 Mar. 1867-29 Feb. 1868
3 Mar. 1868-22 Apr. 1873, 26 May 1880-29 Oct. 1881
8 Jan. 1873-9 Dec. 1881
Index to letters received, Great Britain, 1861-1863
Index to letters received, Great Britain, 1864-1866
III. Miscellany, 1761-1899
This series consists of miscellaneous manuscript material, largely in bound volumes, of various Adams family members, friends, and connections. In some cases, a single volume was used for different purposes or by more than one person.
The material in this series is arranged as follows: first by generation, beginning with John and Abigail Adams. Each generation is then organized from the oldest son to the youngest, with the wife of each son immediately following her husband. For family members with extensive material, papers are arranged in this order: 1. autobiographical material, including diaries (except those of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Charles Francis Adams, whose diaries are located in Series I), memorandum books, etc.; 2. financial papers; 3. legal papers (notes, briefs, fees received, etc.); 4. literary material, including student exercises, commonplace books, translations, and original compositions; 5. political writings; and 6. unclassified material (manuscripts not classifiable in the other categories). Within these categories, manuscripts are arranged in chronological order whenever possible, with the exception of John Quincy Adams's literary manuscripts, which are arranged into two sequences: Reels 217-236 and Reels 237-243.
Non-Adams material, arranged alphabetically by author, is located at the end of the series.
A. John Adams miscellany, 1761-1831
Autobiography
Account book, 6-9 July 1781
Will, inventory, and estate papers, 1819-1831
Blank notebook with fragment of French manuscript on cover
Docket of court cases, Jan. 1763-Apr. 1770
Docket of court cases, Jan. 1771-July 1774
Legal commonplace book
Lists of actions, 1761-1770
Briefs and notes on admiralty cases
Four notebooks on Massachusetts cases (not in Adams's hand)
Briefs and notes on legal cases, 1761-1778 and undated
Accounts and miscellaneous papers related to Adams's law practice
Notes on law cases, with notes in other hands, including that of John Quincy Adams
Literary commonplace book
Literary notes and drafts
Copy of Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence, June 1776
Facsimiles of the engrossed and signed text of the Declaration of Independence executed by Maverick (1817) and Stone (1823)
Copies of instructions to Adams for negotiating treaties of peace and commerce, 1779-1780
Copies of Massachusetts Bay charters and other state papers regarding boundaries, etc., furnished to Adams in 1780-1781
Journal of bills of exchange in Holland, 1780-1784
Catalog of his library, 1790
Journal of executive actions, Mar. 1797-Mar. 1799
Journal of executive actions, June 1799-May 1800
Two manuscript funeral sermons on Adams by John T. Kirkland, 23 July 1826
B. Abigail Adams miscellany, 1784-1818
Diary, 20 June-19 July 1784, 20-28 July 1787, 30 Mar.-May 1788
Manuscript funeral sermon on Mrs. Adams by John T. Kirkland, Nov. 1818, with a copy in another hand
C. John Quincy Adams miscellany, 1780-1848
Pocket memorandum and commonplace book (scattered entries), 1782-1836
Pocket memorandum and account book (scattered entries), 1795-1824
Memorandum book ("The Chaos"), 1804-1827
Memoranda kept in St. Petersburg, 1810-1813
Memorandum and garden book (scattered entries), 1810-1845
Pocket memorandum book, 1815-1828, with diary notes for Nov. 1824
Pocket memorandum book, 1831
Expense book, 1791-1802
Accounts with the United States, 1811-1812
Accounts with the United States, 1794-1801, 1809-1822
Financial ledger, 1802-1813
"Monies received," 1798-1801, 10 Jan. 1804
Daily expenses, 1798-1807
Household account book, 1799-1822
Personal financial record, 1802-1822
Account book (scattered entries), 1809-1829
Account book and miscellaneous notes, 1810-1814
Accounts kept by Quinzard (Adams's cook), 1811-1813
Accounts with the Bank of the Metropolis, 1818-1847
Checks drawn on the Bank of the Metropolis, 1818-1846
Legal memoranda, 1786, et seq.
Legal accounts, 1790-1804
Fee book, 1792-1809
Notes on legal cases, Feb.1802, Aug. 1802
Records of the Commissioners of Bankruptcy, 1802
Latin and Greek copybook, Jan. 1781
Copy of Fables de Phèdre, 1781, with prologue, 1831
Poetical commonplace book, St. Petersburg, 1782
Literary commonplace book, St. Petersburg, 1782
Poetical commonplace book, St. Petersburg, 1782
Translation of Sallust, 1784
Verse composition book, 1784-1792
Quotations from Shakespeare
Translations from Tacitus
Translations of Jean Luzac's Oratio de Socrate Cive (Leyden, 1796)
Copy of his translation of Dietrich von Bülow's Der Freistaat von Nordamerika... (Berlin, 1797)
Original poems and draft of translation of Wieland's Oberon
Translation of Wieland's Oberon
Title page of Adams's translation of Oberon as edited by A. B. Faust (New York, 1940)
Literary commonplace book and miscellaneous memoranda (scattered entries), 1803-1825
Boylston lectures on oratory (except Nos. 1, 13, 18, and part of 19), 1807-1809
Boylston lectures on oratory, continued (except No. 27), 1807-1809
Drafts and notes for another series on the same subject, incomplete
Transcripts of Adams's letters to George Washington Adams on reading the Bible, Sep. 1811-Sep. 1813
Notes for and drafts of Report on Weights and Measures, 1819-1821
Partial draft of Report on Weights and Measures, 1820
Report on Weights and Measures (Washington, 1821)
Poems and translations, 1780-1841, including draft and copy of "Dermot MacMorrogh" and miscellaneous memoranda
Early translations and literary extracts in French, English, and Latin
Early translations into French and English
Early translations into French and English
Writings, literary notes, and extracts, 1787-1829
Long poetical compositions, including a draft of his translation of Wieland's Oberon
Miscellaneous short poems, 1805-1846
Draft of "The Brevet, Observations on the claims to command of Brevet Major General Winfield Scott," 1828
Another draft (or copy) of the treatise on brevet rank, with supplementary material, 1814-1828
"Answer to the Appeal of Certain Federalists," 1829
"Parties in the United States," 1829
"Alphabetical Index to my files of Letters, papers and documents," 1794-1801
List of books sent from Europe, 1801
List of U.S. public documents, 1808-1822
Weather record, Washington, D.C., Jan. 1818-May 1825
Presidential messages to the Senate and House, Dec. 1825-May 1828
Executive Record: commissions signed, Mar. 1825-Dec. 1828, and acts approved or disapproved, 23 Dec. 1825-3 Mar. 1829; orders, 5 Mar. 1825-3 Mar. 1829; nominations, 5 Mar. 1825-24 May 1828
Copy of proceedings of the special Senate session beginning 4 Mar. 1825
Registers of letters received, Mar. 1825-Oct. 1827, Nov. 1827-Feb. 1829
Lists of Congressional resolutions, Dec. 1825-Mar. 1827, Dec. 1827-Feb. 1829
Scrapbook of mounted clippings related to Adams's western trips, July-Aug. 1843, Sep.-Nov. 1843
Newspaper notices (transcripts) related to Adams's western trips
Transcripts of letters and documents from various sources related to political and diplomatic affairs, 1782-1831
Copy of the executive proceedings of the U.S. Senate, May 1789-Mar. 1801
Copy of the executive proceedings of the U.S. Senate, Mar. 1801-Mar. 1811
Copy of the executive proceedings of the U.S. Senate, Nov. 1811-Apr. 1814
Copy of the executive proceedings of the U.S. Senate, Sep. 1814-May 1820
Copy of the executive proceedings of the U.S. Senate, Mar. 1825-Mar. 1829
Copy of the journal of the Hartford Convention, 1814-1815
Manuscript funeral sermon on Adams by William P. Lunt, Mar. 1848
D. Louisa Catherine Adams miscellany, 1812-1849
Diary, 22 Oct. 1812-15 Feb. 1814, 24 Jan.-25 Mar. 1819, with poems and a dramatic composition
Diary, 6 Dec. 1819-8 Jan. 1824
"Record of a Life, or My Story," begun 23 July 1825
Diary, 19 July-19 Aug. 1821
Diary, 17 Aug.-27 Sep. 1821
Diary, verse compositions, and prose reflections, 1835-1841
"Narrative of a Journey from Russia to France," 1815
Autobiographical sketch: "The Adventures of a Nobody," begun 1 July 1840
Diary, 12 Apr. 1843-28 Aug. 1847
Poems, 1842-1849
Poetical compositions and commonplace book, 1816-1835
Poetical compositions, 1816-1835
Copies of poems, chiefly by John Quincy Adams, in his wife's hand, 1816-1843
Translations and poems, 1825-1847
Prose composition: "The Metropolitan Kaleidoscope or Varieties of Winter. Etchings by Rachel Daub...," 18 Dec. 1827 (two manuscript texts)
Verse composition book
Dramatic composition: "Juvenile Indiscretions or Grand Papa a Farce in one Act"
Dramatic composition: "Suspicion or Persecuted Innocence. A Tragedy," and a fragment entitled "Leonora Vernon"
Dramatic compositions: "The Wag or Just from College" and "The Captives of Scio or The Liberal Americans"
Dramatic compositions: "The Innocent Convicted" and other fragments
Literary compositions and translations
E. Thomas Boylston Adams miscellany, 1794-1797
Thomas Boylston Adams (1772-1832), the third son and youngest child of John and Abigail (Smith) Adams, graduated from Harvard in 1790 and studied law. He accompanied his brother John Quincy Adams on his first diplomatic mission to Europe as secretary in 1794, returned in 1798, and practiced law and contributed to Joseph Dennie's Port Folio in Philadelphia for some years thereafter. In 1805, he married Ann Harrod of Haverhill and settled in Quincy, which he represented in the Massachusetts legislature, 1805-1806. In 1811, he was appointed chief justice of the circuit court of common pleas for the southern circuit of Massachusetts.
Diary, 15 Sep.-23 Oct. 1794
Diary, 24 Oct. 1794-14 Apr. 1796
Expense book, 1794-1797
F. Ann Harrod Adams miscellany, 1806-1840
Ann Harrod Adams (1774-1846) was the wife of Thomas Boylston Adams.
Family record, 1806-ca. 1825
Verses by members of her family and others, ca. 1820-1840
G. William Stephens Smith miscellany, 1783
William Stephens Smith (1755-1816), of New York, married Abigail, daughter of John and Abigail (Smith) Adams, in London in 1786. He had served in the Continental Army throughout the Revolution, part of the time as aide to General Washington. From 1813 to 1816, he was a member of Congress from New York.
Proceedings of the American Commissioners of Inspection during the British evacuation of New York, 1783
H. George Washington Adams miscellany, 1814-1825
George Washington Adams (1801-1829), the eldest son of John Quincy and Louisa Catherine (Johnson) Adams, was a member of the class of 1821 at Harvard. He studied law but was much more devoted to literature. He took his own life by jumping from a steamboat in Long Island Sound.
Diary, 1-23 Aug. 1825
Autobiographical essay, 1825
Letterbook and copybook, 1814-1817
Account book, 1823-1824
Legal commonplace book, with added entries in another hand
Poetical and prose compositions, 1817-1820
"Records of the Dramatic Society" (in various hands), 1819-1823
Poetry notebook
Literary commonplace book
Drafts of speeches and other writings by Charles Francis Adams
Literary commonplace book, with further entries by Charles Francis Adams
I. Charles Francis Adams miscellany, 1803-1876
Reminiscences of his mission to Great Britain, 1861-1862, begun 1 Sep. 1867
Accounts as manager of John Quincy Adams's finances, 1828-1846, with earlier entries by George Washington Adams, 1824
Accounts as manager of John Quincy Adams's finances, 1837-1847, with earlier entries by George Washington Adams, 1823-1824
Accounts as manager of John Quincy Adams's finances, 1838-1842, with records of George Washington Adams's estate and expenses, Jan.-Feb. 1824
Accounts as manager of John Quincy Adams's finances, 1842-1845, with earlier entries by George Washington Adams, 1823-1824
Financial ledger, 1846-1851
Financial ledger, 1852-1868
Account book, 1829-1844
Accounts as agent of trust for Mary Louisa Adams, 1852-1857
Financial records, receipt book, and family accounts, 1834-1859
Bank deposit book, Metropolitan Bank, New York City, with 12 checks, 1854
Travel expenses in Europe, kept by E. Giorgi, Adams's courier, Dec. 1871-Feb. 1872
Travel expenses in Europe, kept by L. Perrini, Adams's courier, May-Sep. 1872
"Book of Possessions" (records of Adams's property), 1853, with other materials, including a fragmentary diary of John Quincy Adams, 3 Feb.-14 Nov. 1803
Legal commonplace book, 1825
Legal commonplace book, 1827-1829
Literary commonplace book, 1822
Theme book
Lecture notes, ca. 1823-1825
Composition book (drafts of political writings), 1828-1830
Composition book (drafts of reviews and legislative papers), ca. 1843-1845
Literary miscellany (reviews, lectures), ca. 1827-1846
Literary miscellany (lectures, addresses, etc.), 1841-1875
Political writings and speeches, 1832-1837
Political writings and speeches, 1837-1876
Scrapbook of his newspaper articles, 1832-1835
Scrapbook of his newspaper articles, 1835-1836
Scrapbook of his newspaper articles, 1835-1850
Scrapbook of his newspaper articles, 1836
Scrapbook of newspaper articles by various writers related to the slavery issue, etc., 1848-1860
Catalog of John Quincy Adams pamphlet collection, 1833
Transcripts from the family papers made in 1833, with reminiscences of John Adams by various hands
J. Elizabeth Coombs Adams miscellany, 1770-1899
Elizabeth Coombs Adams (1808-1903), the second daughter of Thomas Boylston and Ann (Harrod) Adams, never married and lived all her life in Quincy, Mass. One of her hobbies was preserving family mementoes and chronicling family history in the form of notes and marginalia.
Scrapbook, sketchbook, and autograph collection, 1770-1899
K. William Steuben Smith miscellany, 1814
William Steuben Smith (1787-1850), the eldest child of William Stephens Smith and Abigail (Adams) Smith, accompanied his uncle John Quincy Adams to St. Petersburg in 1809. In 1813, he married Catherine Maria Frances Johnson, younger sister of Mrs. John Quincy Adams.
Diary, 24 Jan.-22 Sep. 1814
L. Non-Adams miscellany, 1769-1843
George Beaufort [i.e. Samuel Cooper Johonnot?] journal, kept onboard the Sensible, 14 Nov.-9 Dec. 1779
"George Beaufort" is evidently a pseudonym for Samuel Cooper Johonnot (1768-1806), who accompanied the Adamses on their voyage from Boston to Spain, Nov.-Dec. 1779. Johonnot was a grandson of Reverend Samuel Cooper and a son of Gabriel Johonnot of Boston. He was sent abroad for schooling under John Adams and later under Benjamin Franklin at Passy. Returning home several years later, he graduated from Harvard in 1783; practiced law in Portland, District of Maine; and became U.S. consul at Demerara, British Guiana, where he died. There was no George Beaufort aboard La Sensible on the voyage to Spain in 1779, but John Quincy Adams's journal of this voyage frequently mentions young Johonnot, and according to a note in Adams's hand at the end of the "Beaufort" journal, this manuscript diary was presented by Johonnot to Adams, presumably soon after the voyage.
Digital facsimiles of the Samuel Cooper Johonnot journal are available on Life at Sea, a digital publication of Adam Matthew Digital, Inc. This digital resource is available at subscribing libraries; speak to your local librarian to determine if your library has access. The MHS makes this resource available onsite; see a reference librarian for more information.
Thomas Callender memorandum book, kept principally in Princeton, New Jersey, 1804-1820
Thomas Callender (1778-1827) was born at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and married Anne Maria Smith in New Orleans in 1808. She was the daughter of Reverend Samuel Stanhope Smith and the granddaughter of Reverend John Witherspoon of Princeton, New Jersey. Callender appears to have spent his mature life in Princeton and New York City. How Callender's memorandum book came to be part of the Adams family papers is unknown.
Thomas Baker Johnson diaries, 1807-1838
Thomas Baker Johnson (1778?-1843), the younger brother of Louisa Catherine Johnson (Mrs. John Quincy Adams), was a valetudinarian traveler. Little is known of him beyond these voluminous and disorderly diaries.
31 Dec. 1807-1808, 24 July-Nov. 1827, 14-16 Feb. 1837
16 Dec. 1828-28 Apr. 1829
May-3 June 1829, 13 Apr. 1836, May-June 1836
10 Aug. 1836-13 Feb. 1837
14 Feb.-30 May 1837
30 May-14 Aug. 1837
14 Aug.-17 Dec. 1837
18 Dec. 1837-20 May 1838
Elise Charlotte Otté diary, kept on a tour through northern New York and Canada to Niagara Falls with John Quincy Adams and the Grinnell family, July 1843
Elise Charlotte Otté (1818-1914), of Danish and English ancestry, came to the United States about 1840 to serve as schoolmistress and companion in the Grinnell family of New Bedford, Mass. She returned to England and achieved a reputation as a student of linguistics.
Digital facsimiles of the Elise Charlotte Otté diary are available on Leisure, Travel & Mass Culture: The History of Tourism, a digital publication of Adam Matthew Digital, Inc. This digital resource is available to researchers on MHS library computers. See a reference librarian for information on how to access this resource.
James Blake diary, 5 Aug. 1769-6 Nov. 1771
Formerly attributed to Stephen Peabody.James Blake (1751-1771), of Dorchester, Mass., graduated from Harvard in 1769 and studied for the ministry with Reverend William Smith, Abigail Adams's father.
Samuel Tucker journal, "An Abstract of a Journal...on board the Contl. Frigate Boston," 11 Feb.-6 Sep. 1778
Samuel Tucker (1747-1833) was captain of the Continental frigate Boston that carried John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams to France on the former's first diplomatic mission early in 1778.
Digital facsimiles of the Samuel Tucker journal are available on Life at Sea, a digital publication of Adam Matthew Digital, Inc. This digital resource is available at subscribing libraries; speak to your local librarian to determine if your library has access. The MHS makes this resource available onsite; see a reference librarian for more information.
IV. Letters received and other loose papers, 1639-1889
This series contains letters received and other loose papers in a single chronological sequence, 1639-1889 (followed by undated material); a supplement of material arranged topically (ciphers, cipher keys, genealogical material, newspaper clippings, wills, deeds, etc.); and addenda consisting of portions of the diaries of John Adams, 1761, and Charles Francis Adams, 1820, 1824-1827, discovered too late for inclusion in Series I.
A. Chronological papers, 1639-1889
1639-1766
1767-July 1775
Aug. 1775-Apr. 1776
May-Dec. 1776
Jan.-Sep. 1777
Oct. 1777-Mar. 1778
Apr.-Dec. 1778
1779
Jan.-May 1780
June-Sep. 1780
Oct.-Dec. 1780
Jan.-May 1781
June-Dec. 1781
Jan.-Apr. 1782
May-Aug. 1782
Sep.-Oct. 1782
Nov.-Dec. 1782
Jan.-May 1783
June-Nov. 1783
Dec. 1783-May 1784
June-Dec. 1784
Jan.-June 1785
July-Sep. 1785
Oct.-Dec. 1785
Jan.-Apr. 1786
May-Sep. 1786
Oct. 1786-Apr. 1787
May-Dec. 1787
1788
Jan.-Aug. 1789
Sep. 1789-June 1790
July 1790-May 1791
June 1791-Dec. 1792
1793
Jan.-Aug. 1794
Sep.-Dec. 1794
Jan.-June 1795
July-Dec. 1795
Jan.-June 1796
July-Dec. 1796
Jan.-Mar. 1797
Apr.-June 1797
July-Sep. 1797
Oct.-Dec. 1797
Jan.-Mar. 1798
Apr.-May 1798
June 1798
July-Aug. 1798
Sep.-Oct. 1798
Nov.-Dec. 1798
Jan.-Mar. 1799
Apr.-May 1799
June-July 1799
Aug.-Dec. 1799
Jan.-May 1800
June-Sep. 1800
Oct.-Dec. 1800
Jan.-May 1801
June 1801-Dec. 1802
1803
1804
1805-1806
Jan. 1807-Mar. 1808
Apr.-Dec. 1808
Jan.-July 1809
Aug.-Dec. 1809
Jan.-June 1810
July-Dec. 1810
Jan.-June 1811
July-Dec. 1811
Jan.-June 1812
July-Dec. 1812
Jan.-June 1813
July-Dec. 1813
Jan.-Apr. 1814
May-July 1814
Aug.-Sep. 1814
Oct.-Nov. 1814
Dec. 1814
Jan.-Mar. 1815
Apr.-May 1815
June 1815
July 1815
Aug.-Sep. 1815
Oct.-Nov. 1815
Dec. 1815
Jan.-Feb. 1816
Mar.-Apr. 1816
May 1816
June-July 1816
Aug. 1816
Sep.-Nov. 1816
Dec. 1816
Jan.-Mar. 1817
Apr.-May 1817
June-Aug. 1817
Sep. 1817
Oct.-Nov. 1817
Dec. 1817
Jan.-Mar. 1818
Apr.-July 1818
Aug.-Oct. 1818
Nov.-Dec. 1818
Jan.-Mar. 1819
Apr.-Aug. 1819
Sep.-Dec. 1819
Jan.-June 1820
July-Dec. 1820
Jan.-May 1821
June-Aug. 1821
Sep.-Dec. 1821
Jan.-Apr. 1822
May-July 1822
Aug.-Nov. 1822
Dec. 1822
Jan.-Feb. 1823
Mar.-Apr. 1823
May 1823
June 1823
July-Aug. 1823
Sep.-Dec. 1823
Jan.-May 1824
June-Aug. 1824
Sep.-Dec. 1824
Jan.-Feb. 1825
Mar. 1825
Apr.-May 1825
June 1825
July-Aug. 1825
Sep.-Nov. 1825
Dec. 1825
Jan.-Feb. 1826
Mar.-May 1826
June-July 1826
Aug.-Sep. 1826
Oct.-Dec. 1826
Jan.-Mar. 1827
Apr.-May 1827
June-July 1827
Aug.-Sep. 1827
Oct.-Dec. 1827
Jan.-Feb. 1828
Mar.-May 1828
June-July 1828
Aug.-Sep. 1828
Oct.-Nov. 1828
Dec. 1828
Jan.-Mar. 1829
Apr.-Dec. 1829
1830
Jan.-July 1831
Aug.-Dec. 1831
Jan.-May 1832
June-Dec. 1832
Jan.-Sep. 1833
Oct. 1833-Jan. 1834
Feb.-May 1834
June-Dec. 1834
Jan.-Mar. 1835
Apr.-Dec. 1835
Jan.-May 1836
June-Dec. 1836
Jan.-Feb. 1837
Mar.-Aug. 1837
Sep.-Dec. 1837
Jan.-Feb. 1838
Mar.-June 1838
July-Dec. 1838
Jan.-Feb. 1839
Mar.-Dec. 1839
Jan.-Mar. 1840
Apr.-June 1840
July-Nov. 1840
Dec. 1840-Jan. 1841
Feb.-Apr. 1841
May-July 1841
Aug.-Nov. 1841
Dec. 1841-Jan. 1842
Feb.-Mar. 1842
Apr.-June 1842
July-Oct. 1842
Nov.-Dec. 1842
Jan.-Mar. 1843
Apr.-Aug. 1843
Sep.-Dec. 1843
Jan.-Mar. 1844
Apr.-July 1844
Aug.-Dec. 1844
Jan.-Apr. 1845
May-Aug. 1845
Sep.-Dec. 1845
Jan.-May 1846
June-Dec. 1846
1847
Jan.-Apr. 1848
May-Dec. 1848
1849
1850-1851
1852
1853-1854
1855-1856
Jan. 1857-July 1858
Aug.-Dec. 1858
Jan.-June 1859
July-Dec. 1859
Jan.-Apr. 1860
May-July 1860
Aug.-Dec. 1860
Jan. 1861
Feb. 1861
Mar.-May 1861
June-Aug. 1861
Sep.-Nov. 1861
Dec. 1861
Jan.-Feb. 1862
Mar.-May 1862
June-July 1862
Aug.-Sep. 1862
Oct.-Nov. 1862
Dec. 1862-Jan. 1863
Feb.-Mar. 1863
Apr.-May 1863
June-July 1863
Aug.-Sep. 1863
Oct.-Nov. 1863
Dec. 1863-Feb. 1864
Mar.-Apr. 1864
May-June 1864
July-Aug. 1864
Sep.-Dec. 1864
Jan.-Mar. 1865
Apr. 1865
May-June 1865
July-Sep. 1865
Oct.-Dec. 1865
Jan.-Apr. 1866
May-Aug. 1866
Sep.-Dec. 1866
Jan.-Mar. 1867
Apr.-June 1867
July-Sep. 1867
Oct.-Dec. 1867
Jan.-Mar. 1868
Apr.-Dec. 1868
1869
1870
1871
Jan.-June 1872
July-Aug. 1872
Sep. 1872-May 1873
June-Dec. 1873
1874-1875
1876-1877
1878-1879
1880-1882
1883-1884
1885-1887
1888-1889
Undated material
B. Topical supplements, 1765-1888
Ciphers and cipher keys
Genealogical material
Newspaper clippings, 1765-1847
Newspaper clippings, 1848-1849
Newspaper clippings, 1850-1888
Wills, deeds, etc.
C. Addenda, 1761-1827
John Adams diary, 21 Mar.-18 Oct. 1761
Charles Francis Adams diary, 1 Jan.-15 Feb. 1820, 1 Jan. 1824-15 June 1827
Preferred Citation
Microfilm edition of the Adams family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.