John Quincy Adams: Diaries Vol. 2 1821-1848 (LOA #294) (Library of America Adams Family Collection)

**For the 250th anniversary of John Quincy Adams's birth, a landmark new****edition of an American masterpiece:****the incomparable self-portrait of a man and his times from the Revolution to****the coming of the Civil War.**The diary of John Quincy Adams is one of the most extraordinary works in American literature. Begun in 1779 at the age of twelve and kept more or less faithfully until his death almost 70 years later, it is both an unrivaled record of historical events and personalities from the nation's founding to the antebellum era and a masterpiece of American self-portraiture, tracing the spiritual, literary,and scientific interests of an exceptionally lively mind. Now, for the 250th anniversary of Adams's birth, Library of America and historian David Waldstreicher present a two-volume reader's edition based for the first time on the original manuscript diaries, restoring personal and revealing passages suppressed in earlier editions.Volume 2 opens with Adams serving as Secretary of State, amid political maneuverings within and outside James Monroe's cabinet to become his successor, a process that culminates in Adams's election to the presidency by the House of Representatives after the deadlocked four-way contest of 1824. Even as Adams takes the oath of office, rivals Henry Clay, his Secretary of State, John C. Calhoun, his vice president, and an embittered Andrew Jackson, eye the election of 1828. The diary records in candid detail his frustration as his far-sighted agenda for national improvement founders on the rocks of internecine political factionalism, conflict that results in his becoming only the second president, with his father, to fail to secure reelection. After a short-lived retirement, Adams returns to public service as a Congressman from Massachusetts, and for the last seventeen years of his life he leads efforts to resist the extension of slavery and to end the notorious "gag rule" that stifles debate on the issue in Congress. In 1841 he further burnishes his reputation as a scourge of the Slave Power by successfully defending African mutineers of the slave ship __Amistad__ before the Supreme Court. The diary achieves perhaps its greatest force in its prescient anticipation of the Civil War and Emancipation, an "object," as Adams described it during the Missouri Crisis, "vast in its compass, awful in its prospects, sublime and beautiful in its issue." The Diary Of John Quincy Adams Is One Of The Most Extraordinary Works In American Literature. Begun In 1779 At The Age Of Twelve And Kept More Or Less Faithfully Until His Death Almost 70 Years Later, It Is Both An Unrivaled Record Of Historical Events And Personalities From The Nation's Founding To The Antebellum Era And A Masterpiece Of American Self-portraiture, Tracing The Spiritual, Literary, And Scientific Interests Of An Exceptionally Lively Mind. Volume I Begins During The American Revolution, With Adams's First Entry, As He Prepares To Embark On A Perilous Wartime Voyage To Europe With His Father, Diplomat John Adams, And Records His Early Impressions Of Franklin And Jefferson And Of Paris On The Eve Of Revolution; It Details His Abbreviated But Eventful Years Of Study At Harvard And His Emergence Into The World Of Politics In His Own Right, As American Minister To The Netherlands And To Prussia, And Then As A U. S. Senator From Massachusetts; And It Reveals A Young Man At War With His Passions, Before Finding Love With The Remarkable Louisa Catherine Johnson. In Passages That Form A Kind Of Real-world War And Peace, The Diary Follows The Young Married Couple To St. Petersburg, Where As U.s. Minister Adams Is A Witness To Napoleon's Invasion Of Russia. Its Account Of The Negotiations At Ghent To End The War Of 1812, Where Adams Leads The American Delegation, Is The Perhaps The Most Detailed And Dramatic Picture Of A Diplomatic Confrontation Ever Recorded. Volume 1 Concludes With His Elevation As Secretary Of State Under James Monroe, As He Takes The Fore In A Fractious Cabinet And Emerges As The Principal Architect Of What Will Become Known As The Monroe Doctrine. Volume 2 Opens With Adams Serving As Secretary Of State, Amid Political Maneuverings Within And Outside James Monroe's Cabinet To Become His Successor, A Process That Culminates In Adams's Election To The Presidency By The House Of Representatives After The Deadlocked Four-way Contest Of 1824. Even As Adams Takes The Oath Of Office, Rivals Henry Clay, His Secretary Of State, John C. Calhoun, His Vice President, And An Embittered Andrew Jackson, Eye The Election Of 1828. The Diary Records In Candid Detail His Frustration As His Far-sighted Agenda For National Improvement Founders On The Rocks Of Internecine Political Factionalism, Conflict That Results In His Becoming Only The Second President, With His Father, To Fail To Secure Reelection. After A Short-lived Retirement, Adams Returns To Public Service As A Congressman From Massachusetts, And For The Last Seventeen Years Of His Life He Leads Efforts To Resist The Extension Of Slavery And To End The Notorious Gag Rule That Stifles Debate On The Issue In Congress. In 1841 He Further Burnishes His Reputation As A Scourge Of The Slave Power By Successfully Defending African Mutineers Of The Slave Ship Amistad Before The Supreme Court. The Diary Achieves Perhaps Its Greatest Force In Its Prescient Anticipation Of The Civil War And Emancipation, An Object, As Adams Described It During The Missouri Crisis, Vast In Its Compass, Awful In Its Prospects, Sublime And Beautiful In Its Issue. I. 1779-1821 -- Ii. 1821-1848. John Quincy Adams ; David Waldstreicher, Editor. Partly Originally Published: Diary Of John Quincy Adams. Cambridge, Mass. : Belknap Press Of Harvard University Press, 1981. (adams Papers. Series I, Diaries). Includes Bibliographical References And Index. For the 250th anniversary of John Quincy Adams's birth, a landmark new edition of an American masterpiece: the incomparable self-portrait of a man and his times from the Revolution to the coming of the Civil War. The diary of John Quincy Adams is one of the most extraordinary works in American literature. Begun in 1779 at the age of twelve and kept more or less faithfully until his death almost 70 years later, it is both an unrivaled record of historical events and personalities from the nation's founding to the antebellum era and a masterpiece of American self-portraiture, tracing the spiritual, literary, and scientific interests of an exceptionally lively mind. Now, for the 250th anniversary of Adams's birth, Library of America and historian David Waldstreicher present a two-volume reader's edition based for the first time on the original manuscript diaries, restoring personal and revealing passages suppressed in earlier editions. Volume 2 opens with Adams serving as Secretary of State, amid political maneuverings within and outside James Monroe's cabinet to become his successor, a process that culminates in Adams's election to the presidency by the House of Representatives after the deadlocked four-way contest of 1824. Even as Adams takes the oath of office, rivals Henry Clay, his Secretary of State, John C. Calhoun, his vice president, and an embittered Andrew Jackson, eye the election of 1828. The diary records in candid detail his frustration as his far-sighted agenda for national improvement founders on the rocks of internecine political factionalism, conflict that results in his becoming only the second president, with his father, to fail to secure reelection. After a short-lived retirement, Adams returns to public service as a Congressman from Massachusetts, and for the last seventeen years of his life he leads efforts to resist the extension of slavery and to end the notorious "gag rule" that stifles debate on the issue in Congress. In 1841 he further burnishes his reputation as a scourge of the Slave Power by successfully defending African mutineers of the slave ship Amistad before the Supreme Court. The diary achieves perhaps its greatest force in its prescient anticipation of the Civil War and Emancipation, an "object," as Adams described it during the Missouri Crisis, "vast in its compass, awful in its prospects, sublime and beautiful in its issue." For the 250th anniversary of Adamss birth, Library of America and historian David Waldstreicher have prepared a two-volume readers edition of his monumental diary, presenting selections based for the first time on the original manuscripts and restoring personal and revealing passages suppressed in earlier editions. As this second volume opens Adams, as secretary of state, is the leading figure in James Monroes cabinet, a fractious group whose members jockey to be the next president. This political intrigue, described with gripping immediacy in the diary, culminates in Adamss election to the presidency by the House of Representatives after a deadlocked four-way contest. Even as Adams takes the oath of office, rivals Henry Clay, his secretary of state, John C. Calhoun, his vice president, and an embittered Andrew Jackson eye the next election in 1828. The diary records Adamss frustration as his far-sighted agenda for national unification and internal improvement is threatened by this internecine political factionalism, as well as his revulsion at the advent of the unprincipled absurdities of Jacksonian democracy: My hopes of the long continuance of this Union are extinct The people must go the way of all the world. After a short-lived post-presidential retirement, during which he and his wife Louisa Catherine endure the apparent suicide of their eldest son, Adams returns to public service as a congressman from Massachusetts, without question the most extraordinary second act in American political history. In his final seventeen years, Adams leads efforts to resist the extension of slavery and to end the notorious gag rule that stifles debate on the issue in Congress, earning the sobriquet Old Man Eloquent. In 1841, he further burnishes his antislavery reputation by successfully defending the African mutineers of the slave ship Amistad before the Supreme Court, a dramatic manifestation of his life-long commitment to liberty and the rule of law. The edition concludes with Adamss final entry, recorded on February 20, 1848, the day before he suffered a fatal stroke at his congressional desk. Throughout, the diary brims with brilliant, sometimes acerbic portraits of an astonishing range of American statesmen, from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to Stephen A. Douglas and Andrew Johnson. "For the 250th anniversary of John Quincy Adams's birth, a landmark new selected edition of an American masterpiece: the incomparable self-portrait of a man and his times from the Revolution to the coming of the Civil War. The diary of John Quincy Adams is one of the most extraordinary works in American literature. Begun in 1779 at the age of twelve and kept more or less faithfully until his death almost 70 years later, and totaling some fifteen thousand closely-written manuscript pages, it is both an unrivaled record of historical events and personalities from the nation's founding to the antebellum era and a masterpiece of American self-portraiture, tracing the spiritual, literary, and scientific interests of an exceptionally lively mind. Now, for the 250th anniversary of Adams's birth, Library of America and historian David Waldstreicher present a two-volume reader's edition of diary selections based for the first time on the original manuscripts, restoring personal and revealing passages suppressed in earlier editions. Volume I begins during the American Revolution, with Adams's first entry, as he prepares to embark on a perilous wartime voyage to Europe with his father, diplomat John Adams, and records his early impressions of Franklin and Jefferson and of Paris on the eve of revolution; it details his abbreviated but eventful years of study at Harvard and his emergence into the world of politics in his own right, as American minister to the Netherlands and to Prussia, and then as a U.S. senator from Massachusetts; and it reveals a young man at war with his passions, before finding love with the remarkable Louisa Catherine Johnson. In passages that form a kind of real-world War and Peace, the diary follows the young married couple to St. Petersburg, where as U.S. minister Adams is a witness to Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Its account of the negotiations at Ghent to end the War of 1812, where Adams leads the American delegation, is the perhaps the most detailed and dramatic picture of a diplomatic confrontation ever recorded. Volume 1 concludes with his elevation as Secretary of State under James Monroe, as he takes the fore in a fractious cabinet and emerges as the principal architect of what will become known as the Monroe Doctrine."--Amazon.com