CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY BEING THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AS ILLUSTRATED IN THE LIVES OF THE FOUNDERS, BUILDERS, AND DEFENDERS DOING THE WORK AND MOULDING THE ENT TIME EDITED BY DISTINGUISHED BIOGRAPHERS, SELECTED FROM EACH STATE REVISED AND APPROVED BY THE MOST EMINENT HISTORIANS, SCHOLARS, AND VOLUME II. NEW YORK JAMES T. WHITE & COMPANY THE NATIONAL CYCLOPÆDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. PROMINENT CONTRIBUTORS AND REVISERS. Abbott, Lyman, D. D., LL. D., Pastor of Plymouth Church, and Editor of "The Adams, Charles Follen, Author of "Dialect Ballads." Adams, Charles Kendall, LL. D., President of Cornell University. Alexander, Hon. E. P., Ex-General Southern Confederacy. Alger, Rev. William Rounseville, Author. Douglass, Hon. Frederick W. Editor "Chicago Times." Durrett, Col. R. T., Historian of the West. Dwight, Timothy, D. D., LL. D., Eagle, James P., Governor of Arkansas. Eggleston, George Cary, Author and Editor. Eliot, Charles W., LL. D., Fetterolf, A. H., LL. D., Ph. D., Field, Henry Martyn, D. D. Editor "New York Evangelist.' Fisher, Prof. George P., D. D., LL. D., Professor of Divinity, Yale University. Garrison, Wendell Phillips, "Evening Post." Kingsley, William L., LL. D., Editor "New Englander and Yale Review." Kip, Rt. Rev. William Ingraham, Bishop of California. Kirkland, Major Joseph, Literary Editor "Chicago Tribune." Knox, Thomas W., Author and Traveler. Lamb, Martha J., Editor "Magazine of American History." Langford, Laura C. Holloway, Editor and Historical Writer. Le Conte, Joseph, LL. D., Professor in University of California. Lindsley, J. Berrien, M. D., State Board of Health of Tennessee. Lockwood, Mrs. Mary S., Historical Writer. Lodge, Hon. Henry Cabot, Author. Porter, Noah, D. D., LL. D., Ex-president of Yale University. Potter, Eliphalet N., D. D., LL. D., President Hobart College. Powderly, T. V., Master Workman, Knights of Labor. Prime, Edward D. G., D. D., Editor "New York Observer." Prince, L. Bradford, Governor New Mexico. Prowell, George R., Historical Writer. Ryder, Rev. Charles J., Secretary of American Missionary Society. Sanborn, Frank B., Author. Schaff, Philip, D. D., LL. D., Author. Sharpless, Isaac, Sc. D., President Haverford College. Stott, W. T., D. D., President Franklin College. Shearer, Rev. J. B., D. D., President Davidson College, Ñ. C. Small, Albion W., Ph. D., President Colby University. Smith, Charles H. (Bill Arp), Author. Smith, George Williamson, D. D., LL. D., Smith, William W., LL. D., Snow, Louis Franklin, Professor Brown University. Stockton, Frank R., Author. Sumner, William G., Professor Political Economy, Yale. Super, Charles W., A. M., Ph. D., President Ohio University. Swank, James W., Secretary American Iron and Steel Association. Tanner, Edward A., D. D., President I linois College. Taylor, James M., D. D., President Vassar College. Thurston, Robert H., Director Sibley College. Thwing, Charles F., D. D., President Western Reserve University. Tuttle, Herbert, LL. D., Professor Cornell University. Tyler, Lyon G., President College of William and Mary. Venable, W. H., LL. D., ADAMS, John, second president of the United States, was born in Braintree, Mass., Oct. 30, 1735. He was the great-grandson of Henry Adams, a Puritan, who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1640. His father, John Adams, was a deaIcon of the church and a selectman. His mother, Susanna Boylston, was a daughter of Peter Boylston, of Brookline, Mass. The father was a farmer of small means and also a shoemaker, but he managed to give his son, being the eldest, the benefit of an education at Harvard, from which he was graduated in 1755, and soon after received his degree of Bachelor of Arts and went to Worcester, Mass., where he became a teacher in the grammar school. He was ambitious, and if he had possessed the necessary influence would have entered the army. He also thought somewhat of making theology his profession; at the same time his mind turned naturally to politics. When in his twenty-first year he wrote a letter to a friend, containing the following: "Soon after the Reformation, a few people came over into the new world for conscience' sake. Perhaps this apparently trivial incident may transfer the great seat of empire into America. It looks likely to me; for if you can remove the turbulent gallicks, our people, according to the exactest computations, will in another century become more numerous than England itself. Should this be the case, since we have, I may say, all the naval stores of the nation in our hands, it will be easy to obtain the mastery of the seas, and then the united force of all Europe will not be able to subdue us. The only way to keep us from setting up for ourselves is to disunite us. Divide et impera. Keep us in distinct colonies, and then some great men in each colony desiring the monarchy of the whole, they would destroy each other's influence and keep the country in equilibria." In October, 1758, Adams gave up teaching school at Worcester, and having already studied law was admitted to the bar, and possessing a clear, sonorous voice, fluency of speech, and quick concep John Adams tion, rapidly became popular and respected. On Oct. 25, 1764, Mr. Adams was married to Abigail Smith, a daughter of the minister at Weymouth, and a person rather above him in social position. She proved a good wife and mother and made his home a happy one. In the same year as his marriage, Mr. Adams was chosen selectman and assessor and overseer of the poor of the town of Braintree, and he now began to interest himself in politics. He was selected as one of the counsel of the town of Boston, with Jeremiah Gridley, the head of the bar, and James Otis, the famous orator, who took the stand that the unpopular stamp act was void, because parliament had no right to tax the colonies. The repeal of this act soon after ended the matter. About this time Adams began to write on taxation in the Boston "Gazette," and soon some of his arguments were reprinted in the London papers. In 1768 he removed to Boston, and two years later was elected to the general court, though at the same time he was retained to defend Capt. Preston for his share in the Boston massacre, the latter being acquitted in spite of the great prejudice existing in regard to the affair. In the general court he began to be considered a leader of the patriot party. Though he soon resigned, he was consulted on all important matters by Gov. Hutchinson. On the organization of the first Continental congress, which met at Philadelphia in 1774, Mr. Adams was one of the five members who represented Massachusetts. Of this gathering he wrote: "It is such an assembly as never before came to gether on a sudden in any part of the world. Here are fortunes, abilities, learning, eloquence, acuteness, equal to any I ever met with in my life. Here is a diversity of religions, educations, manners, interests, such as it would seem impossible to unite in one line of conduct." The battle of Bunker Hill removed the last shadow of a doubt in the mind of Mr. Adams concerning the policy of insisting for the future upon the possibility of reconciliation, and he became convinced that this could not be accomplished. He accordingly addressed himself with spirit to the work of stimulating congress to take the most decisive measures in preparation for the inevitable conflict. This congress substantially declared war against England by appointing a committee of safety, seizing the provincial revenues, ap |