
My Dearest Friend
Letters of Abigail and John Adams
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
My Dearest Friend
Letters of Abigail and John Adams
About this book
"A wonderfully vivid account of the momentous era they lived through, underscoring the chaotic, often improvisatory circumstances that attended the birth of the fledgling nation and the hardships of daily life."
âMichiko Kakutani, New York Times
In 1762, John Adams penned a flirtatious note to "Miss Adorable," the 17-year-old Abigail Smith. In 1801, Abigail wrote to wish her husband John a safe journey as he headed home to Quincy after serving as president of the nation he helped create. The letters that span these nearly forty years form the most significant correspondenceâand reveal one of the most intriguing and inspiring partnershipsâin American history.
As a pivotal player in the American Revolution and the early republic, John had a front-row seat at critical moments in the creation of the United States, from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to negotiating peace with Great Britain to serving as the first vice president and second president under the U.S. Constitution. Separated more often than they were together during this founding era, John and Abigail shared their lives through letters that each addressed to "My Dearest Friend," debating ideas and commenting on current events while attending to the concerns of raising their children (including a future president).
Full of keen observations and articulate commentary on world events, these letters are also remarkably intimate. This new collectionâincluding some letters never before publishedâinvites readers to experience the founding of a nation and the partnership of two strong individuals, in their own words. This is history at its most authentic and most engaging.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Foreword by Joseph J. Ellis
- Introduction
- Note to the Reader and Acknowledgments
- Courtship and Marriage
- âLove Sweetens Lifeâ October 1762âjuly 1774
- âThe Decisive Day is Comeâ August 1774âdecember 1775
- Independence
- âWe Are Determined to Foment a Rebelionâ Januaryâoctober 1776
- âKind Providence Has Preserved to Me a Lifeâ Januaryânovember 1777
- The Years Abroad
- âI Cast My Thoughts Across the Atlantickâ February 1778âapril 1782
- âA Signal Tryumphâ July 1782âmarch 1788
- A New Government
- âThe Most Insignificant Officeâ December 1788âJanuary 1794
- âThis Whirligig of a Worldâ February 1794âDecember 1795
- The First Couple
- âI Am Heir Apparentâ January 1796âJanuary 1797
- âThe Chief Majestracy of a Nationâ February 1797âFebruary 1801
- Epilogue: The Death of Abigail
- Chronology
- Index
- Plate 1