Adams Family Correspondence, Vol. 14: October 1799–February 1801 ed. by Hobson Woodward et al. (review)

This volume of the correspondence of the Adams family and its circle covers the period from October 1799 to February 1801. It contains only private letters; the official letters of John Adams and his administration, and those of John Quincy Adams in his role as a diplomat in Europe, are contained in state papers published elsewhere. The events that bookend this volume are, on the one end, the sudden death of George Washington of an infection on or near his tonsils (called "quinsy") on 14 December 1799 at age 67. On the other end is the death of John and Abigail's son Charles, a long-time sufferer of alcoholism, who succumbed to cirrhosis of the liver on 30 November 1800 at the age of 30; Abigail writes to John just a few months before Charles's untimely demise that "all is lost—poor poor unhappy Wretched Man—God knows what is to become of him" (393). Also at this end is the presidential election between John and his rival Thomas Jefferson, who was elected, along with Aaron Burr as his Vice President, by ballots cast in the House of Representatives. This election marked the retirement of John from public life and his return with Abigail to their home in Massachusetts.

Thomas Boylston Adams, reflecting on the state of the United States government in the summer of 1800, sees the country in grave turmoil. Among the trends that concern him are the prospect of a "division of the Continent into three separate governments—North, Middle & Southern—An intestine war to settle the boundaries of each, wherein the district or division, likely to fail of success would resort to foreign aid for assistance" (265). Later that same summer, in a stunning letter elaborating on the zeitgeist of the times, Thomas writes to Abigail that "no body cares for the Constitution—the framers of it, are apparently … disgusted with it" and the people themselves "have but little affection for this Government" (304). He then speculates that a combination of no apparent leader to directly effect change and the fear of change itself stops the people from overthrowing those in control: "What is there in such a Government to attach people to it—to create & sustain a wish for its duration—There is in my mind, nothing but the fear of something worse" (304).

Internationally, the instability of the French government raises fears in John Quincy and Thomas and in Mary Cranch Smith, Abigail's sister. John Quincy, in Europe, writes that Napoleon Buonaparte's strong powers and enjoyment of Fortune's favor bode ill for Europe and the United States (462–63); Buonaparte "proves … the tendency of all the absurd and wicked theories of equality and fraternity, and representative democracy, to end in absolute and hereditary sway" (449). Thomas expresses concern that France is responsible for a recent slave uprising, now known as Gideon's Revolt (407–08). Mary Cranch Smith shows a fearful view of Buonaparte like her nephew John Quincy's, writing to Abigail that "[a]s to France they have only a three headed Monster to govern them instead of a five[,] a kind of Cerberus[, and] I expect to hear of another revolution Soon" (141).

There is much to value in this volume besides Adams family members' perspectives on the American politics and relations with Europe. John and Abigail Adams, now parents of adult children, are avid readers of the events and texts of their times. Abigail relishes quoting Shakespeare, Milton, and writers from the Age of Sensibility. One of her favorite works is Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man (1733–34), and her letters show her love of proverb and aphorism as forms of expression. For example, when writing to friend Hannah Phillips Cushing, Abigail conflates two separate lines from...