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John Quincy Adams In His Own Words
The Library of America is a nonprofit organization which "champions our nation's cultural heritage by publishing America's greatest writing in authoritative new editions and providing resources for readers to explore this rich living legacy." In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of John Quincy Adams (1767 -- 1848) the Library of America has published this two-volume set of Adams' diaries edited by David Waldstreicher, Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. The Adams diaries join other writings of source materials in early American history, including three volumes of the writings of John Adams, John Quincy's father and one volume of letters of his mother, Abigail Adams. John Quincy Adams' diary is a remarkable document for its insight into the writer and his era. It richly deserves inclusion in a series devoted to the best of American writing.Adams served a single term as the sixth President, but his presidency may represent the low point in a lifetime career of public service, which included service as a Senator, diplomat, Secretary of State, and Congressman with the presidency sandwiched in from 1825 -- 1829. Adams public career is fully covered in the diary selections in this compilation and offer excellent source material for the history of the period. Equally important, the selections included in this anthology give a portrayal of Adams personal life in his troubled relationship with his family and of his broad religious, scientific, literary, and cultural interests. Earlier editions of Adams' diaries, beginning with the 12-volume compilation by Adams' son, Charles Francis Adams, tended to focus on political issues at the expense of Adams' life and thought.Adams began keeping a diary at the age of 12 at the behest of his father and continued the practice, with various interruptions, until his death. He devoted a great deal of time and care to the diaries, and the entries are full and detailed. They often include transcripts of conversations. Adams began keeping the diaries for himself, and thus attempted the difficult task of honesty. Late in life, he seemed to realize that the diaries would eventually become public, when he entrusted them to Charles Francis for safe keeping. Throughout, the diaries show a private, curmudgeonly individual given to self-reflection and self-criticism with high intellectual gifts and a broad range of interests. It is valuable, for example, to read the diary entries made over the years on July 11, Adams' birthday, for his annual reflections of his achievements and on his desire to do more. Adams writes lucidly and well and is open about his opinions, activities, and failings, in the privacy of his diary. The diary includes Adams' reflections on his political colleagues and rivals and on other figures of his day, including Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Henry Clay, John Calhoun, Andrew Jackson, and many others. He is sharply critical of Jefferson and also, in places, is sharply critical of the American Transcendentalist philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The diaries show a religiously devout individual who reads the Bible daily but who understands the force of skepticism and is reluctant to commit to a particular creed. They show a widely-read and educated person who thinks about Plato and philosophy. Adams had a broad interest in the natural sciences throughout his life. He loved literature and wrote poetry, a small amount of which is still read.The first of the two volumes in this set begins with Adams' diary entries in adolescence. It covers his early journeys abroad, his education at Harvard, and his term as a U.S. Senator. Then the diaries cover his diplomatic service in England where he met and married Louisa Johnson. The diaries give a full view of Adams' role in negotiating the Treaty of Ghent which ended the War of 1812. The final section of the first volume covers Adams' service as Secretary of State under the first term of President James Monroe. The highlight of the first term was the treaty Adams' negotiated with the Spanish minister for the acquisition of Florida and the western boundary of the United States. The volume also includes extensive diary entries on the Missouri Compromise and on Adams' own conflicted and developing thoughts about slavery in the United States.The second volume begins with Adams' service as Secretary of State during Monroe's second term and his role in the development of the Monroe Doctrine. It covers the political intriguing for the presidency and Adams' own frustrations in the office. After a brief retirement, Adams' served 17 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and these years receive extensive coverage in the Diary. Adams' was instrumental in founding the Smithsonian Institution and became involved in anti-Mason politics. But he is best-known for his long, passionate fight against the gag rule and his strong criticism of slavery. The diaries show as well Adams' involvement before the Supreme Court in the famous Amistad case which resulted in freedom for slaves who mutinied on a Spanish slave ship and killed the crew.Among many other things, the diaries offer a historical perspective on American politics. They show that politics in Adams' era was it least as factional, rough, and brutal, if not more so, than in our own day. Adams' goal was to rise above party and faction and to a president and public leader for all the people. He aimed to unite the country and to overcome sectionalism. Thus, another theme running through the diary as a whole is slavery. The entries in the first volume on the Missouri Compromise show that Adams was indeed troubled by the short and long term future of a Union which had slavery at its center. He continued this concern throughout his life, particularly in his service in Congress; although he tried to avoid identification as an Abolitionist. Adams' nationalism and his opposition to slavery remain highly inspiring, timely, and important. Another broad, valuable lesson from Adams' diaries is the importance of spiritual life and the life of the mind. Adams might well have been happier in a different career separate from the rough and tumble of American politics.The Library of America has done a service in publishing this volume so that interested readers may have access to the thought and writing of John Quincy Adams. The LOA kindly sent me a review copy of this set. The volumes include notes and a chronology of Adams' life to help the reader along. Readers interested in contemporary views of Adams may wish to read "What Hath God Wrought", a history by Daniel Walker Howe which is dedicated to the memory of Adams. Robert Remini's short biography in the American President's series and the biographies of Adams by Fred Kaplan and James Traub are also good sources.Robin Friedman
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