The successful completion of volume 21 of the Papers of John Adams is due to the dedicated members of Adams Papers staff, past and present. We are grateful for the support of series editor for digital editions Neal E. Millikan, assistant editor Miriam Liebman, Mary K. Wigge, and Lauren Howard, as well as the many transcribers who labored to prepare transcripts for this and future Adams Papers volumes. Once again, we would like to thank Ann-Marie Imbornoni, who copy-edited the volume with her customary grace and good humor.

A talented set of scholars made significant contributions to this book. Jeremie Korta translated the French documents. James P. McClure of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Robb K. Haberman of the Selected Papers of John Jay, and Michele M. Lavoie of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences all offered valuable assistance with special research topics. We are grateful to the reference librarians of Harvard University’s Houghton, Lamont, and Widener libraries as well as the Boston Athenæum and the New England Historic Genealogical Society libraries. At the Boston Public Library, Kimberly Reynolds, Curator of Manuscripts, and Sean P. Casey of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Department assisted with research related to John Adams’ Library.

Adams Papers editors are especially indebted to the efficiency of Kenneth and Kevin Krugh of Technologies ’N Typography in Merrimac, Massachusetts, who skillfully managed the typesetting of the volume. Greek characters were set using Zeph Text, courtesy of the Loeb Classical Library. At Harvard University Press, we acknowledge the critical assistance of Christine Thorsteinsson, Managing Editor; Andrew Kinney, General Editor; Tim Jones, Director of Design and Production; Abigail Mumford, Associate Director of Production; Mihaela-Andreea Pacurar, Editorial Assistant; and Eric Mulder, Design Assistant.

We thank the Massachusetts Historical Society, which has served as a home for both the Adams Papers editorial project and Adams-related scholarship for over sixty years. In particular, we thank President Catherine Allgor; Peter Drummey, Chief Historian & Stephen T. Riley Librarian; Carol Knauff, Vice President of Communications & Marketing; Brenda M. Lawson, Vice President for Collections; Maureen Nguyen, Vice President of Development; Anne E. Bentley, Curator of Art & Artifacts; Elaine Heavey, Director of the Library; Nancy Heywood, Senior Archivist for Digital Initiatives; Ondine E. Le Blanc, Worthington C. Ford Editor of Publications; Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai, Director of Research; Laura Wulf, Photographic and Digital Imaging Specialist; Tammy Hamond, Controller; Mary E. Yacovone, Senior Cataloger; Chris Coveney, Chief Technology & Media Officer; and all of the members of the Library-Reader Services department. As ever, the Society’s Adams Papers Committee provides valuable support for the project’s success.