Born in Boston into one of the country's most prominent families - both his great-grandfather and his grandfather had been Presidents of the United States - , Adams graduated from Harvard in 1858. He travelled extensively, spending many years in Europe. His novel Democracy was published anonymously in 1880 and immediately became popular. However, only after Adams's death did his publisher reveal Adams's authorship.
As a historian, Adams is considered to have been the first (in 1874 -1876) to conduct historical seminary work in the United States. His magnum opus is his History of the United States (1801 to 1817) (9 vols., 1889-1891). It is particularly notable for its account of the diplomatic relations of the United States during this period, and for its essential impartiality. Adams also published Life of Albert Gallatin[?] (1879), John Randolph[?] (1882), and Historical Essays (1891), besides editing The Writings of Albert Gallatin (3 volumes, 1879) and, in collaboration with H. C. Lodge[?], Ernest Young[?] and J. L. Laughlin[?], Essays in Anglo-Saxon Law (1876).
Henry Adams's brothers are also notable:
- His elder brother, John Quincy Adams (1833 - 1894), a graduate of Harvard (1853), practised law, and was a Democratic member for several terms of the Massachusetts general court. In 1872 he was nominated for vice-president by the Democratic faction that refused to support Horace Greeley.
- Another brother, Charles Francis Adams, Jr. (1835 - 1915), graduated at Harvard in 1856, and served on the Union side in the Civil War, receiving in 1865 the brevet of brigadier-general in the regular army. He was president of the Union Pacific Railroad from 1884 to 1890, having previously become widely known as an authority on the management of railways. Among his writings are Railroads, Their Origin and Problems (1878).
- Another brother, Brooks Adams (1848 - 1927), practised law. His writings include The Law of Civilization and Decay (1895), America's Economic Supremacy (1900), and The New Empire (1902).
External link
- Henry Adams, Globe Trotter in Space and Time (http://www.univie.ac.at/Anglistik/easyrider/data/HAdams.htm)