12 November 1779 to 31 December 1779

Diary volume 1 contains long entries for dates ranging from 12 November 1779 to 31 December 1779. John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "A Journal by me JQA") when he was twelve years old. During this time he sails from Boston to Europe with his father and brother on La Sensible and begins journey across northern Spain to Paris.

There are 48 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1780 to 31 January 1780

Diary volume 2 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1780 to 31 January 1780. John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was twelve years old. During this time he travels with his father and brother across northern Spain to Paris.

There are 19 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

25 July 1780 to 30 September 1780

Diary volume 3 contains long entries for dates ranging from 25 July 1780 to 30 September 1780. John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was thirteen years old. During this time he travels with his father and brother from Paris to the Netherlands and is enrolled in a Latin school in the Netherlands.

There are 148 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

8 June 1781 to 27 August 1781

Diary volume 4 contains long entries for dates ranging from 8 June 1781 to 27 August 1781. John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was thirteen and fourteen years old. During this time he travels with Francis Dana through Germany and Poland to St. Petersburg, Russia, where he serves as Dana's secretary and interpreter.

There are 150 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

27 January 1782 to 23 November 1782

Diary volume 5 contains long entries for dates ranging from 27 January 1782 to 23 November 1782. John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was fourteen and fifteen years old. During this time he serves as a secretary and interpreter to Francis Dana in St. Petersburg; in October 1782, he leaves St. Petersburg with Dana, and begins his journey back to the Netherlands.

There are 115 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

31 December 1782 to 26 February 1783

Diary volume 6 contains long entries for dates ranging from 31 December 1782 to 26 February 1783. John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was fifteen years old. During this time he travels through Sweden on his way back to the Netherlands.

There are 21 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

31 December 1782 to 17 October 1783

Diary volume 7 is a published Swedish almanac with interleaved pages containing short entries, many written in French, ranging from 31 December 1782 to 17 October 1783. John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was fifteen and sixteen years old. During this time he travels from St. Petersburg, Russia to The Hague (via Finland, Sweden, and Denmark). He also travels from The Hague to Paris and Auteuil.

There are 348 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

6 August 1783 to 22 September 1783 (with gaps)

Diary volume 8 contains long entries for 6 August 1783 to 22 September 1783 (with gaps). John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was sixteen years old. During this time he travels with his father from The Hague to France, where he serves as his father's secretary during the signing of the Treaty of France.

There are 35 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

20 October 1783 to 20 March 1785 (with gaps)

Diary volume 9 contains long entries for 20 October 1783 to 20 March 1785 (with gaps). John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was sixteen and seventeen years old. During this time he travels with his father from France to England and from England to The Hague. He meets his mother and sister in London and then they travel to the Paris area and reside at Auteuil.

There are 20 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1785 to 30 June 1786

Diary volume 10 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1785 to 30 June 1786. John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "Ephemeris volume I") when he was seventeen and eighteen years old. During this time he is living with his parents and siblings near Paris, then he returns to the United States, studies and passes his Harvard entrance exams, and in the spring of 1786 enters Harvard as a junior.

There are 381 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 July 1786 to 31 October 1787

Diary volume 11 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 July 1786 to 31 October 1787. John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "Ephemeris volume II) when he was eighteen and nineteen years old. During this time he attends and graduates from Harvard, and then moves to Newburyport to study law under Theophilus Parsons.

There are 379 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 November 1787 to 31 December 1790

Diary volume 12 contains long entries and line-a-day entries for dates ranging from 1 November 1787 to 31 December 1790. John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "Ephemeris volume III") when he was nineteen to twenty-two years old. During this time he studies law under Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport and by August 1790, begins practicing law in Boston.

There are 282 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

11 January 1788 to 31 December 1788

Diary volume 13 is a published almanac with interleaved pages containing line-a-day entries ranging from 11 January 1788 to 31 December 1788. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty and twenty-one years old. During this time he studies law under Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport.

There are 188 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1789 to 31 December 1789

Diary volume 14 is a published almanac with interleaved pages containing line-a-day entries ranging from 1 January 1789 to 31 December 1789. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-one and twenty-two years old. During most of this time he studies law under Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport with a few months away from his studies in Braintree.

There are 186 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

January 1790 to 31 December 1790

Diary volume 15 is a published almanac with interleaved pages containing line-a-day entries ranging from 1 January 1790 to 31 December 1790. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-two and twenty-three years old. During this time he completes his training in law under Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport and opens a law office in Boston.

There are 191 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1791 to 31 December 1791

Diary volume 16 is a published almanac with interleaved pages containing line-a-day entries ranging from 1 January 1791 to 31 December 1791. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-three and twenty-four years old. During this time he continues to practice law in Boston and publishes "Publica" essays in the Columbian Centinel.

There are 184 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 April 1791 to 16 May 1792 (with gaps)

Diary volume 17 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 April 1791 to 16 May 1792 (with gaps). John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-three and twenty-four years old. During this time he continues to practice law in Boston.

There are 25 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1792 to 31 December 1792

Diary volume 18 is a published almanac with interleaved pages containing short entries ranging from 1 January 1792 to 31 December 1792. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-four and twenty-five years old. During this year he protests Boston's anti-theater ordinances in newspaper articles using the pseudonym "Menander."

There are 210 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1793 to 31 December 1793

Diary volume 19 is a published almanac with interleaved pages containing short entries ranging from 1 January 1793 to 31 December 1793. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-five and twenty-six years old. During this year he publishes two essays in Boston newspapers and delivers his first 4th of July oration.

There are 192 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

3 June 1794 to 28 February 1795 (with gaps)

Diary volume 20 contains long entries for dates ranging from 3 June 1794 to 28 February 1795 (with gaps). John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-six and twenty-seven years old. During this time period John Quincy Adams travels to New York to receive his commission as minister to the Netherlands, and the latter part of the diary includes entries written by Adams after his arrival in the Netherlands.

There are 58 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

17 September 1794 to 31 October 1794

Diary volume 21 contains long entries for dates ranging from 17 September 1794 to 31 October 1794. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-seven years old. During this time period John Quincy Adams travels to London and then to the Netherlands to assume his post as minister.

There are 62 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1794 to 31 December 1794

Diary volume 22 contains short entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1794 to 31 December 1794. John Quincy Adams interleaved pages with short diary entries into a published almanac volume when he was twenty-six and twenty-seven years old. During this time period John Quincy Adams is appointed minister to the Netherlands and travels to London and then to The Hague to assume his post.

There are 196 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1795 to 12 May 1801 and 5 August 1809 to 30 April 1836

Diary volume 23 contains line-a-day entries for two spans of dates ranging from 1 January 1795 to 12 May 1801 and 5 August 1809 to 30 April 1836. It appears that John Quincy Adams compiled this volume beginning on 26 July 1816 when he was forty-nine years old (and the line-a-day entries written previous to that date were retrospectively created). This volume, containing single line entries for dates when John Quincy Adams was twenty-seven to thirty-three years old and forty-two to sixty-eight years old, is referred to as the "Epitome" volume.

There are 516 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 March 1795 to 31 December 1802

Diary volume 24 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 March 1795 to 31 December 1802. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was twenty-seven to thirty-five years old. During this time he serves as resident minister to the Netherlands, travels to London for the ratification of Jay's Treaty where he meets and later marries Louisa Catherine Johnson, serves as minister plenipotentiary to Prussia, and returns to Boston, where he resumes practicing law, is elected state senator from Suffolk County, and is defeated in a run for U.S. House of Representatives.

There are 397 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1800 to 29 December 1800 (with gaps)

Diary volume 25 is a published almanac containing memoranda and other types of entries (including accounts) for scattered dates between 1 January 1800 and 29 December 1800. John Quincy Adams wrote these memoranda and accounts on blank pages formatted for notes and accounts within this pocket volume. John Quincy Adams kept this almanac diary volume when he was thirty-two to thirty-three years old. During this time he serves as minister plenipotentiary to Prussia, is recalled, and returns to the United States to live with his family in Boston.

There are 144 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

4 March 1802 to 20 September 1802

Diary volume 26 is a published almanac with interleaved pages containing notes and memoranda about bankruptcy proceedings for 4 March 1802 to 20 September 1802. John Quincy Adams kept this almanac volume when he was thirty-four to thirty-five years old. During this time he has a law office in Boston and serves an appointment as the commissioner of bankruptcy.

There are 212 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1803 to 4 August 1809

Diary volume 27 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1803 to 4 August 1809. John Quincy Adams kept this diary from when he was thirty-five to forty-two years old. During this time period John Quincy Adams is elected to the U.S. Senate by the Massachusetts House of Representatives; as senator, he breaks with Massachusetts Federalists to support the Louisiana Purchase; he is appointed the first Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard; and he resigns from the U.S. Senate when the Massachusetts House of Representatives asks him to vote to repeal President Jefferson's Embargo Bill.

There are 419 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

5 August 1809 to 31 July 1813

Diary volume 28 contains long entries for dates ranging from 5 August 1809 to 31 July 1813. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was forty-two to forty-six years old. During this time he serves as minister plenipotentiary to Russia and relays information to the secretary of state regarding the war between Russia and France.

There are 509 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

August 1813 to 31 May 1816

Diary volume 29 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 August 1813 to 31 May 1816. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was forty-six to forty-eight years old. During this time he serves as minister plenipotentiary to Russia, signs the Treaty of Ghent with Great Britain and serves as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain.

There are 456 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

14 October 1815 to 31 December 1815

Diary 29A is a group of unbound leaves (folded pages) containing draft entries for dates ranging from 14 October 1815 to 31 December 1815. These diary pages weren't bound into a volume and have been assigned the number 29A based on the relationship of the dates of the entries on these folded pages as compared to the dates of the numbered volumes. John Quincy Adams dictated these diary entries (they are not written in Adams' hand) when he was forty-eight years old. During this time he serves as minister to Great Britain.

There are 16 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 June 1816 to 31 December 1818

Diary volume 30 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 June 1816 to 31 December 1818. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was forty-eight to fifty-one years old. During this time period John Quincy Adams, who was serving as minister to Great Britain and living in London, is appointed secretary of state by President James Monroe and returns to the United States to assume that post.

There are 468 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1819 to 20 March 1821 and 10 November 1824 to 6 December 1824

Diary volume 31 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1819 to 20 March 1821 and 10 November 1824 to 6 December 1824. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was fifty-one to fifty-three and fifty-seven years old. During this time he serves as secretary of state to President Monroe, researches and writes Report Upon Weights and Measures, and is chosen as the sixth president of the United States by the U.S. House of Representatives.

There are 568 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

21 March 1821 to 30 November 1822 (with gaps)

Diary volume 32 contains long entries for dates ranging from 21 March 1821 to 30 November 1822 (with gaps). John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was fifty-three to fifty-five years old. During this time he serves as secretary of state to President Monroe and encourages the establishment of U.S. relations with the nations of Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina while declaring U.S. anti-colonial principles in relation to Latin America.

There are 329 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 December 1821 to 31 March 1822, 15 January 1825 to 14 June 1825 and 30 March 1837 to 31 December 1838

Diary volume 33 contains long entries and short entries for dates ranging from 1 December 1821 to 31 March 1822, 15 January 1825 to 14 June 1825 and 30 March 1837 to 31 December 1838. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume, he called it "Diary in Abridgement," when he was fifty-four, fifty-seven, and seventy to seventy-one years old. During this time he serves as secretary of state, president, and congressman. The short entries in this volume have been referred to as "abbreviated entries" by some scholars and editors.

There are 594 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1823 to 14 June 1824

Diary volume 34 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1823 to 14 June 1824. John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was fifty-five and fifty-six years old. During this time John Quincy Adams serves as secretary of state to President Monroe and urges Monroe to protect the western hemisphere from further colonization by foreign powers, and he hosts a ball for General Andrew Jackson, marking the beginning of Adams' run for the presidency.

There are 204 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

25 January 1823 to 31 October 1826 (with additional entries for 5 November 1828 and 15 August 1844)

Diary volume 35 contains long entries for dates ranging 25 January 1823 to 31 October 1826. This diary also includes entries for 5 November 1828 and 15 August 1844. John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was 55 to 59 years old. (The additional entries were written when he was sixty-one and seventy-seven years old.) During this time he serves as secretary of state to President Monroe, and is elected as the sixth President of the United States by the U.S. House of Representatives.

There are 395 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1825 to 9 January 1825 and 14 May 1828 to 30 September 1830

Diary volume 36 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1825 to 9 January 1825 and 14 May 1828 to 30 September 1830. John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was fifty-seven and sixty to sixty-three years old. During this time he is elected the sixth President of the United States by the U.S. House of Representatives; he is defeated by Andrew Jackson during his bid for re-election, and he is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives by Massachusetts's Plymouth District.

There are 653 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

11 November 1825 to 24 June 1828

Diary volume 37 contains long entries for dates ranging from 11 November 1825 to 24 June 1828. John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was fifty-eight to sixty years old. During this time he serves at the sixth president and urges Congress to establish a Department of the Interior, a naval academy, a national university, a national astronomical observatory, nation-wide internal improvements for transportation, and uniform laws on bankruptcy, weights and measures, militia, and patents.

There are 577 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 October 1830 to 24 March 1832

Diary volume 38 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 October 1830 to 24 March 1832. John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was sixty-three to sixty-four years old. During this time he serves as a U.S. congressman, and he composes an epic poem titled "Dermot MacMorrough, or The Conquest of Ireland."

There are 409 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 December 1832 to 31 May 1835

Diary volume 39 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 December 1832 to 31 May 1835. John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was sixty-five to sixty-seven years old. During this time he serves as a U.S. congressman; he defends the Fortifications Bill, and is referred to as "Old Man Eloquent."

There are 520 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 June 1835 to 5 December 1836 (with gaps)

Diary volume 40 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 June 1835 to 5 December 1836 (with gaps). John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was sixty-seven to sixty-nine years old. During this time he serves as a U.S. congressman and is appointed chairman of a House special advisory committee regarding the $500,000 bequest of James Smithson to establish the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and attacks the annexation of Texas in a speech and votes against U.S. recognition of Texas.

There are 203 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

5 December 1836 to 4 January 1837 and 29 July 1840 to 31 December 1841

Diary volume 41 contains long entries for 5 December 1836 to 4 January 1837 and 29 July 1840 to 31 December 1841. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was and seventy and seventy-four to seventy-five years old. During this time John Quincy Adams successfully defends the Amistad slaves before the Supreme Court.

There are 567 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1839 to 28 July 1840

Diary volume 42 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1839 to 28 July 1840. John Quincy Adams kept this diary when he was seventy-two to seventy-four years old. During this time period John Quincy Adams continues serving as congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives and saves the House from anarchy by assuming the chair during a deadlock over its organization.

There are 478 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1842 to 8 July 1843

Diary volume 43 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1842 to 8 July 1843. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was seventy-five to seventy-seven years old. During this time John Quincy Adams continues serving as congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he actively promotes the right to petition but is censured by some congressmen.

There are 568 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

9 July 1843 to 31 December 1844

Diary volume 44 contains long entries for dates ranging from 9 July 1843 to 31 December 1844. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was seventy-six to seventy-seven years old. During this time period he travels to upstate New York and Cincinnati, and continues to serve as congressman in the U. S. House of Representatives. The House drops its opposition to the gag rule (something Adams had actively advocated).

There are 560 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1845 to 10 August 1846

Diary volume 45 contains long entries for dates ranging from 1 January 1845 to 10 August 1846. John Quincy Adams kept this diary volume when he was seventy-seven to seventy-nine years old. During this time period John Quincy Adams continues to serve as congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives and votes against a declaration of war with Mexico.

There are 700 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

14 August 1846 to 4 January 1848 (with gaps)

Diary volume 46 contains long entries for dates ranging from 14 August 1846 to 4 January 1848 (with gaps). John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was seventy-nine to eighty years old. John Quincy Adams wrote some of the entries and dictated others (the entries he dictated appear in someone else's hand). During this time period he continues to server as a congressman in the U. S. House of Representatives. He suffers and recovers from a cerebral hemorrhage and celebrates his 80th birthday and 50th wedding anniversary.

There are 241 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

11 June 1829 to 31 October 1833 (with gaps)

Diary volume 47 contains draft entries, notes, lists, and memoranda for 11 June 1829 to 31 October 1833. John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "Rubbish") when he was sixty-one to sixty-six years old. During this time he is elected to the U. S. House of Representatives.

There are 644 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

20 May 1820 to 30 June 1843 (with gaps and an additional entry for 8 August 1844)

Diary volume 48 contains draft entries, notes, lists, and memoranda for 20 May 1820 to 30 June 1843. (This diary also includes one memorandum for 8 August 1844.) John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "Rubbish, vol. 2") when he was fifty-two to seventy-five years old. During this time he serves as secretary of state and serves as congressman in the U. S. House of Representatives. (Although he serves as president during this time, there are only a few entries for dates in the fall 1825.)

There are 855 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

17 October 1803 to 17 November 1845 (with gaps)

Diary volume 49 contains draft entries, notes, lists, and memoranda for 17 October 1803 to 17 November 1845. John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "Rubbish, vol. 3") when he was thirty-five to seventy-eight years old. During this time he serves as minister to Russia, secretary of state, president, and congressman.

There are 846 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

1 January 1827 to 25 February 1848 (with gaps)

Diary volume 50 contains draft entries, notes, lists, and memoranda for 1 January 1827 to 25 February 1848. John Quincy Adams kept this volume (he called it "Rubbish, vol. 4") when he was fifty-nine to eighty years old. During this time he is completes his term as president and serves as congressman in the U. S. House of Representatives.

There are 941 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.

3 February 1803 to 14 November 1803

Diary volume 51 contains short entries, long entries and lists dating from 3 February 1803 to 14 November 1803. John Quincy Adams kept this volume when he was thirty-five to thirty-six years old. During this time he is elected to the U.S. Senate. (Later, his son, Charles Francis Adams wrote notes about properties and family history in the volume. The sequence of pages containing John Quincy Adams' diary entries appear from one end of the volume, and the sequence of pages containing Charles Francis Adams' notes appear from the other end. Please note: only the pages written by John Quincy Adams' diary entries are presented online.)

There are 16 pages presented online. Click here to go to the first page.