The index for volume 12 of the Adams Family Correspondence is designed to supplement the annotation, when possible, by furnishing the correct spellings of names, supplying forenames when they are lacking in the text, and indicating dates, occupations, and places of residence when they will aid in identification. Markedly variant spellings of proper names have been cross-referenced to what are believed to be their most nearly standard forms, and the variant forms found in the manuscripts are parenthetically recorded following the standard spellings. Cross references under maiden names are used for women who were single when first mentioned in the text and were married subsequently but before the end of April 1798.

Branches, departments, and positions within the U.S. federal government are indexed individually under the name of the entity, with subdivisions as appropriate. For example, the Supreme Court is found as a subentry under “Judiciary, U.S.” while “Presidency, U.S.” stands as a main entry.

Subentries appear in alphabetical order by the primary word of the subentry. Abbreviations are alphabetized as if they were spelled out, thus “JQA” is alphabetized under “Adams, John Quincy.”

The Chronology, “The Adams Family, 1797–1798,” has not been included in the index.

The index was compiled in the Adams Papers office.