The Education of John Adams

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This biography of John Adams, written by a legally trained biographer, delves into his origins in colonial Massachusetts, education, and career choices. It highlights his legal career's development and its influence on his self-perception, alongside his increasing involvement in the American Revolution as a polemicist, lawyer, congressional delegate, and diplomat. The narrative covers his role in establishing the U.S. government under the Constitution, his tenure as the first vice president and second president, and his later years as a disillusioned ex-president who evolved into the respected Sage of Braintree. The book emphasizes the relationships that shaped him, including his partnership with the eloquent Abigail Adams, connections with his children, and interactions with figures like Benjamin Rush, John Marshall, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Timothy Pickering. Bernstein positions Adams as a pivotal figure in American constitutional theory and practice. Notably, it examines Adams's complex views on slavery and race, challenging his status as a champion of human equality. The biography is grounded in Adams's own writings—diaries, letters, essays, and pamphlets—and concludes by reflecting on the relevance of his ideas in contemporary discussions.