The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams

Quite possibly the best book of history I've ever read - the American Revolution, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, shopping lists, child care instructions, treaty negotiations, rumination on religion, book reviews, art criticism, and too many more subjects to list. The complete correspondence between three of the founders (Abigail Adam's letters to and from Jefferson are included) constitutes in my humble opinion the best of history in the raw, the very stuff that still weaves it's way through our world two hundred years later. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

The first 3rd of this book, minus Abigail's notes*, is pretty dull business--because it's really just that. But, then, during Jefferson's tenure as President, it suddenly got personal and beautiful. I feel like Adams especially would have been a good friend. Which probably says more about me than him. They covered all the topics... except, directly, slavery. It would have been interesting to get their opinions. As it is, their voracious reading and writing habits exhaust me.

It's interesting that these 2 men, so involved in the 1776 business were so distanced from the Constitutional Convention. Their candid, off-hand remarks on the document in their European correspondence telling. And, as time goes on, we see Adams put forth the show more opinion that the constitution itself isn't a guarantor of good government. What matters is the people of the country.

John Adams is great fun. He doesn't mince words nor is he afraid to admit what he doesn't know. He's frank about his faith, his life, philosophy, and his intentions. Jefferson is hesitant, somewhat non-committal, and proper---making it impossible to forget the differences in their lives and the fact that slavery was a large, if unmentioned, part of his life.

Possibly should be read with [b:My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams|436582|My Dearest Friend Letters of Abigail and John Adams|Abigail Adams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348447801l/436582._SX50_.jpg|425488]. To be fair, most of the rating is due to Adams(x2). Jefferson contributed 1 letter to every 6 or so of theirs.

*One cannot help loving Abigail. show less

This wonderful book transports you to a different time from that which one experiences reading biographies and history of these two giants. There are thirteen sections, date ranges, each preceded by the editor with a brief introduction of the period when they wrote the letters. The letters begin in 1777 after declaring independence. About half the book are letters written when they were in Europe and England endeavoring to get support, loans, and commercial trading treaties. During this time, Jefferson and Abigail Adams also maintained a correspondence often of a lighter fare such as Abigail requesting Jefferson to procure items of clothing from Paris and during a time after Jefferson sent for his daughter who stayed with the Adams’s show more for some time in London before joining her father in France. For about 12 years, the two statesmen did not write to each other owing to differences of opinions exacerbated by the times during which they were candidates for president and the emergence of party politics. A dear friend of each, Dr. Benjamin Rush, was instrumental in encouraging them to resume their correspondence during their retirement from politics. This second series of letters show touching insights of two great minds no longer burdened by the pressures of office yet eager to explain themselves as they said: “…that we ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other…”. During this period, we learn how much each has read histories of societies and philosophers from ancient to modern as they quote freely from, and often in the original language, i.e., for example, Greek, translations provided. Never do they resort to salutations or use of their first name, it’s always Sir, Dear Sir, My Dear Sir. Accordingly, their writing structure never resorts to casual but always shows complete esteem for each other. To be expected, the language of the time required me to occasionally look up a word, phrase or quote to fully understand its origin and meaning and was often drawn into tangential forays to satisfy my curiosity. show less

Adams and Jefferson, who are two of the greatest correspondents in history, take it up a notch with their letters to each other. They had a great falling out at the end of Adams' presidency and did not communicate with each other for about 11 years, until 1812. Their correspondence for the last 14 years of their lives (they famously died on the same day, July 4, 1826) is beautiful. As they age, you can see how important they become to each other, although they never met again. This is a wonderful book.