The editors owe a large debt of gratitude to the many people who have helped in the preparation of these volumes of the Papers of John Adams. Several of those acknowledged in previous volumes have continued to provide support and assistance, and the editors again thank them for their help. Two of these, however, deserve particular mention. Dr. J. W. Schulte Nordholt once again helped to illuminate the complex political system of the Netherlands, and Viola Thomas continued her translations of French documents. Not mentioned previously, but who have been of particular assistance in these volumes, are E. James Ferguson, John Catanzariti (now editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson), and Elizabeth Nuxoll — all of the Papers of Robert Morris — who provided essential information on the British Loan of 1779; and Douglas Arnold, formerly of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin, who read and made suggestions regarding the editorial treatment of the Massachusetts Constitution. Closer to home, Louis L. Tucker, Peter Drummey, Mary Cogswell, Ross Urquhart, Aimée Bligh, and their colleagues at the Massachusetts Historical Society continued to assist the editors in making the best use of the Society's rich collections. Our editor at Harvard University Press, Ann Louise McLaughlin, painstakingly reviewed these volumes for accuracy, style, and consistency with earlier volumes, a vital task that she has performed with distinction for over twenty-five years.

The work of several members of the Adams Papers staff whose names do not appear on the titlepage also deserves the editors' grateful appreciation. These volumes could not have been produced without the devoted and expert help of our editorial assistants. Katherine Oppermann and Mary Ellen Shriver helped during the early stages of preparation. Martha McNamara proofread and coded the manuscript for the printer, as did Sarah Hage, who also assisted with the submission of copy to the Press and indexing. Michael Crawford assisted in the early stages of the editing of Volume 7 during his tenure as a National Historical Publications and Records Commission fellow at the Adams Papers, and former assistant editor Keith Schlesinger helped with Volume 8. Finally, Marc Friedlaender, adjunct editor of the Adams Papers, read the editorial note to the Massachusetts Constitution and made important suggestions.