Henry Brooks Adams (1838-1918) was a towering figure in American intellectual life, who lived in an era of remarkable change and recorded the implications of the period with great perception. Born into a distinguished political family, Adams witnessed and chronicled a period of immense change in the United States. He was a prolific writer, leaving behind a legacy of acclaimed histories, insightful novels, and a singular autobiography that continues to resonate with readers today.
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Early life and Education of Henry Adams
Henry Adams was born in Boston on Feb. 16, 1838, the fourth of seven children of Charles Francis and Abigail Brooks Adams. Henry’s mother was the daughter of one of Boston’s wealthiest men; his father was the son of John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, and the grandson of John Adams, second president. The boy grew up in a household which contained Boston’s largest private library and in which politics and history were perpetually present.
Entering Harvard in 1854, Adams proved himself an able student, but the proffered reward of high class standing did not tempt him to become a conformist even in this period of rigid college regulations. He wrote for the Harvard Magazine, acted for the Hasty Pudding Club, and at his graduation in 1858 was chosen Class Day Orator.
Although he had learned far more than a reader of his autobiography might imagine, he graduated without academic distinction. In the autumn he traveled to Germany, intending to study law at the University of Berlin. When he discovered that his German was inadequate for university study, he entered a gymnasium (secondary school) for one semester. He toured Europe for 2 years, sending reports to a Boston newspaper.
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Lovely but sad married life
In 1872 Adams married the wealthy and intelligent Marian Hooper and took her to Europe for a year-long wedding trip. This was the beginning of the happiest and most productive period of his life a period which, ironically enough, he omits entirely from his autobiography. In 1885 Marian Adams’s father died; she sank rapidly into a manic depressive condition and on December 7 committed suicide. “For twelve years I had everything I most wanted on earth,” Henry Adams wrote to a friend; suddenly he seemed to have nothing. Six months after his wife’s death, Adams and the artist John La Farge set out for Japan. Adams returned in time to stand by his father’s deathbed in November 1886.
Private Secretary to the father
When Adams returned to America in 1860, he became private secretary to his father, newly elected to Congress, and again arranged to act as correspondent for a newspaper in his native city. The plans of father and son were abruptly altered in March 1861, when President Lincoln appointed the elder Adams minister to Great Britain. By the time the new minister and his private secretary sailed, Southern forces had fired on Fort Sumter and the Civil War had begun.
Henry thought of seeking a commission, but his elder brother Charles, himself in the army, urged him to remain in England and advance the Union cause as a writer. Whether or not the reports Henry published in the New York Times and elsewhere contributed to the war effort is an open question, but the 7 years he spent with his father in England unquestionably contributed greatly to his education.
He met Sir Charles Lyell and John Stuart Mill and at their urging read the works of Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer; over time, these influences would reorient his thinking on politics, economics, and science. During this period Henry Adams published three long and promising articles in the influential North American Review.
Henry Brooks Adams as The Educator
Despite initial political aspirations, Henry Brooks Adams found his niche as an educator. Though assigned courses in medieval history at Harvard, his approach was forward-thinking. He prioritized student participation and critical analysis over rote memorization. This innovative style extended to his course development, where he used lectures on American history from 1789 to 1840 as a springboard for acclaimed historical works.
Adams returned to the United States in 1868 and settled in Washington, where he reported on the political scene for the Nation and for some newspapers. The Adams family was accustomed to wielding power, and he doubtless dreamed from time to time of holding high office, but the political realities of Washington in the Gilded Age seem to have brought him quickly to the conviction that his role would be that of critic and commentator rather than political leader.
His brilliant, acerbic articles were soon making him famous and men in and near the White House infamous. In the autumn of 1870, he reluctantly quit Washington for Boston to become editor of the North American Review and assistant professor of history at Harvard. At Harvard, Adams’s teaching assignments were concentrated in the medieval period, but his methods were modern and innovative, emphasizing student participation rather than lectures and critical understanding rather than the memorization of names and dates.
By 1876 he was ready to offer his Harvard students a course on the history of the United States from 1789 to 1840. From that course, he developed materials for the books upon which his reputation as a historian rests: Documents Relating to New England Federalism, 1800-1815 (1877); The Writings and The Life of Albert Gallatin (1879), a classic political portrait: John Randolph (1882); and the monumental History of the United States during the Administrations of Jefferson and Madison (9 vols., 1889-1891).
Adams resigned as editor of the North American Review in 1876 in an election-year dispute with the loyal Republican publishers. The following year he left Harvard and settled with his wife in Washington, where he could more easily pursue his historical research. In 1879 they returned to Europe, spending much of the winter in London, often in the company of their close friend Henry James.
Authorship of Henry Brooks Adams
Henry Brooks Adams was a man of many talents, but his literary contributions were multifaceted and often shrouded in mystery. He also penned introspective novels. While his historical works offered detailed accounts of specific eras, Adams also embarked on more philosophical journeys. Adams’ true literary masterpiece, however, was his introspective autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams.
Democracy: An American Novel
Henry Brooks Adams’s captivating novel, Democracy: An American Novel, shrouded itself in mystery from the very beginning. Published anonymously in 1880, it became an instant best-seller, with readers buzzing about the true author’s identity, which only came to light after Adams died in 1918. Set in Washington D.C. during the late 1870s, the novel follows a newly elected president and a fascinating character named Madeleine Lee.
A wealthy widow, Madeleine dives headfirst into the political scene, becoming a socialite and confidante to powerful figures. Through her unique perspective, the novel explores the complexities of American democracy, the allure and potential corruption of political power, and the social dynamics that shape the nation’s capital. Though fictional, some speculate the characters may be based on real-life figures, adding another layer of intrigue to this classic American political novel. The book’s influence even extended beyond the literary world, inspiring an operatic adaptation titled Democracy: An American Comedy which premiered in 2005.
Esther
Adams’s authorship of this sprightly piece was to remain a well-kept secret until 1909. Living in Washington again, the Adams established their little court a splendid circle of sentimental cynics which included John Hay and his wife, the brilliant geologist and writer Clarence King, and the aging senator Don Cameron and his beautiful young wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth, always a favorite of Adams, served as the model for Catherine in his second novel, the pseudonymous Esther (1884).
Adams better known for his historical works, penned a thought-provoking novel titled Esther in 1884. Published under the pseudonym Frances Snow Compton, the story centers on a young, independent-minded woman named Esther navigating life in New York City. Esther grapples with societal expectations of women while yearning for personal fulfillment. The title character of this novel is based on Adams’s wife, and it is a tender and touching portrait.
An opportunity to create a religious mural becomes a catalyst for her internal struggles, forcing her to confront her beliefs amidst the city’s vibrant intellectual discussions on religion, science, art, and poetry. Considered a portrayal of women challenging societal norms, some scholars believe Esther is based on Adams’ wife, Marian. This novel stands out as a unique exploration of female identity within the literary landscape of Adams, the renowned historian.
History of the United States During the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (nine volumes) (1889-1891)
Henry Brooks Adams‘ monumental work, History of the United States During the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, published in nine volumes between 1889 and 1891, offers a deep dive into a period of critical change for the young American republic. Praised for its rich detail, insightful analysis, and engaging writing style, Adams’ history explores the presidencies of Jefferson (1801-1809) and Madison (1809-1817) through the lens of politics, diplomacy, social and economic shifts, intellectual trends, and their lasting impact.
Though originally a nine-volume set, the work is now more commonly found in abridged two-volume versions, making Adams’ insightful exploration of this pivotal era in American history accessible to scholars and general readers alike. The Library of America even offers a two-volume edition with a dedicated focus on each president’s term.
Mont Saint-Michel and Chartres
In his 1904 work, Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres, Henry Adams embarks on a far more personal journey than his usual historical studies. Adams privately printed Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres, a classic study of the architecture, thought, and spirit of the Middle Ages (a trade edition appeared in 1913). This meditative reflection explores the 12th and 13th centuries through the grand abbey of Mont Saint-Michel and the awe-inspiring Chartres Cathedral.
Rather than a traditional travelogue, Adams delves into the philosophical and artistic spirit of the medieval world. By examining the architecture, sculptures, and stained glass, he attempts to decipher the unifying ideology that permeated the Middle Ages, particularly the central role of Catholicism. This fascination with a lost sense of coherence is a stark contrast to his more serious historical works. Notably, Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres is considered a companion piece to his autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, both reflecting a search for meaning and a place within the grand narrative of history.
In this book, the Virgin of Chartres stands as a symbol of 13th-century unity. For his next major work, he also found a dominant symbol in France: the dynamo he observed at the Paris Exposition of 1900 somehow expressed for him the “multiplicity” of the 20th century.
The Education of Henry Adams
Henry Adams, a descendant of two American presidents, penned a fascinating autobiography titled “The Education of Henry Adams.” Published in 1918, though privately circulated earlier, the work transcends a simple life story. It’s a coming-of-age tale (bildungsroman) wrapped in philosophical reflection. Adams grapples with the whirlwind of change America underwent during the “Gilded Age,” the era between the Civil War and World War I.
He argues traditional education failed him in this new world, and the book chronicles his lifelong pursuit of self-education through experience, travel, and relationships. “The Education of Henry Adams” isn’t a linear autobiography, but a meditation on a life lived amidst a rapidly evolving world, earning its place as a Pulitzer Prize-winning classic of American literature.
Adams his last years in Washington
Adams spent his last years in Washington, surrounded by nieces and visited by a new generation of America’s social and political elite. He approved of President Wilson’s decision to enter World War I because he hoped it would lead the country into a permanent Atlantic alliance.
Death
Adams died quietly in his home on March 26, 1918. He was buried in Rock Creek Cemetery beside the grave of his wife with no marker save the beautiful statue he had commissioned Augustus Saint-Gaudens to execute for her.
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