by Miriam Liebman, Adams Papers

The newest Adams Papers publication is here! Adams Family Correspondence, volume 16, follows the Adams family from the end of 1804 through the middle of 1809 as John and Abigail Adams spent time at Peacefield and guided their growing family through challenges, big and small. This is the last of three blog posts exploring the volume’s main themes.

Part Three: The Adams Family, Party Politics, and Great Britain

The third major narrative arc in Adams Family Correspondence, volume 16, concerns the increased tensions between the United States and Great Britain, which posed the greatest threat to the new nation. Conflicts on the seas and impressment of sailors threatened war. As Federalists and Democratic-Republicans sought solutions to these issues, John Quincy Adams broke from family and Massachusetts tradition and sided with the Democratic-Republicans in voting for an embargo against Great Britain. Abigail challenged him to explain his vote since it would affect local families, and an anonymous newspapers article asked John Quincy to consider his father’s legacy when deciding his congressional actions. John Quincy defended himself by saying country comes before party. In response, the Massachusetts General Court voted to replace him as senator when his term ended, but he did not wait and resigned immediately.

While the United States sought to eliminate the prospect of war, tensions would further escalate between the two nations over the next several years. The volume ends with John Quincy heading off to St. Petersburg to serve as the first US minister to Russia. For those adventures, you will have to stay tuned for Adams Family Correspondence, volume 17.

The Adams Papers editorial project at the Massachusetts Historical Society gratefully acknowledges support for this volume from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, and the Packard Humanities Institute.