Tag Archives: John Adams

The White House New Year’s Day Reception

After two years in New York and ten years in Philadelphia, the capital of the country was moved to Washington at the very end of 1800. The Dismal Days Washington DC was just opening for business in late 1800, after … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, Presidential Sites | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

FIRST DADS: A Book Review

Author Joshua Kendall has whipped up a dandy light-history read! FIRST DADS is filled with stories, tidbits and gossip about our Presidents – and how they stacked up as fathers. Or not. The author begins with an important premise (not … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, Recommended Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

John Quincy Adams: When The People Cheered

John Quincy Adams was a brilliant man of many substantive accomplishments. Popularity was not one of them. JQA: A Spectacular Upbringing By the time John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) was twenty-one, he was arguably the most cosmopolitan man of his generation … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, John Quincy Adams | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: A Book Review

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates has been sitting on the Best Seller list for several weeks now, and hooray! It does exactly what it wants to accomplish: interest the reader in an informative-but-not-didactic manner, and prove the point that … Continue reading

Posted in Recommended Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Nabby Adams: The Mastectomy

John and Abigail Adams’ daughter underwent a mastectomy when she was forty-four. The Oldest Adams Offspring The eldest of the four surviving children of John and Abigail Adams was a daughter, named Abigail (1765-1813) and forever nicknamed “Nabby.”   Somewhat withdrawn … Continue reading

Posted in John Adams, Nifty History People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

William R. King: The VEEP Who Never Was

The office of Vice President was merely an afterthought to our Constitution’s founders. It was so insignificant that for nearly 39 years(!), the office remained empty. The Early VEEPS For the first twelve years of the USA being the USA, … Continue reading

Posted in Nifty History People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Presidential Stepping Stone

More than half our Presidents have been lawyers, at least by discipline. Whether they liked it or not, and even whether they actively “practiced law” is something else. POTUSes Reading Law In the “olden days,” one did not need a … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

John Adams and The Validation of America

March 4, 1797 is one of those barely recognized dates – but it is a pivotal one. The Lonely Inaugural of John Adams Inaugurals today are times of celebration: parades, parties, balls. People come from all over the globe to … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, George Washington, John Adams | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dolley Madison and the Inaugural Ball

Dolley Madison was already a superstar when James Madison was elected President in 1808. The Early Inaugurals The inaugurations of George Washington had been solemn affairs, both in New York City and Philadelphia. No government of the “we the people” … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, James Madison | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Abigail Adams’ Sorrow: Like Uncle, Like Nephews

Medical science today provides substantial evidence that alcoholism can be a hereditary failing, but even back in Colonial days, people suspected that it ran in families. William Smith: Abigail Adams’ Brother Abigail Adams (1744-1818), always a credible witness to her … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments