The Adams Family

by James Truslow Adams

1930. From the The family whose story is told in this volume (and with which I am in no way connected) is the most distinguished in the United States. Suddenly passing from village obscurity into international fame in the latter part of the eighteenth century, it has ever since maintained a preeminent position, due neither to great wealth nor to a hereditary title, but to character and sheer intellectual ability. It is this in part, which gives it a unique interest, although the life of each of its members here chronicled has an interest also of its own. The volume, however, is not intended to be merely a series of biographies. It is essentially a biography of a family, thrown against the changing background of its times for a hundred and fifty years. Indeed, the family is in part used as a sort of measuring rod to measure the extent of the change in its environment. The chief purpose of the book is thus not at all genealogical, and only in a minor degree individually biographical. The First John Adams; The Second John Quincy Adams; The Third Charles Francis Adams; and The Fourth John Quincy, Charles Francis, Henry, and Brooks Adams.

Genres: History, Biography, Presidents, American History

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1930

About the author

Born to a wealthy Yankee family in Brooklyn, New York, Adams took his bachelor's degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1898, and a MA degree from Yale University in 1900. He entered investment banking, rising to partner in a New York Stock Exchange member firm. until 1912. In 1912, he considered his savings ample enough to switch his to a career as a writer.

Adams coined the term "American Dream" in his 1931 book The Epic of America. His American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.

An American historian, Adams wrote The Founding of New England (1921), which brought him the Pulitzer Prize in history for 1922, was followed by Revolutionary New England, 1691–1776 (1923) and New England in the Republic, 1776–1850 (1926). Among the best of his many books are Provincial Society, 1690–1763 (Vol. III in the “History of American Life” series, 1927) and The Epic of America (1931), which was widely translated. The Adams Family (1930) and Henry Adams (1933) were books on the famous Massachusetts clan, to which he was not related.

Reviews

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a very insightful read into one of the families who has had a huge impact on this nation. J.T. Adams was an easy to understand and intelligent author who really had a mastery of his subjects and was able to move between the four generations with ease. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in history.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Epilogue states that Charles Francis Adams III, "is head of the family & Secretary of that Navy which was founded by John." The book was published in 1930, during the great depression! I wonder how many of John Adams' descendants are alive today & what are they doing?

[Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Older 1930 biography.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onvan : The Adams Family - Nevisande : James Truslow Adams - ISBN : 837164273 - ISBN13 : 9780837164274 - Dar 364 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 1974