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Primary sourceDiary entry1779–1848

Diary of John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams · 1779–1848

John Quincy Adams's personal diary, kept from 1779 to 1848, recording nearly seventy years of American politics and diplomacy in his own hand.

This is Adams's own lifelong diary, among the richest first-person records of his political and diplomatic career.

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Front cover of a red cloth-bound book with faded, worn surface and faint illegible title lettering in the center, with a small dark mark near the top left and a brownish spot on the lower right.
John Quincy Adams, Diary, 1779–1848. Massachusetts Historical Society.

About this source

What it is

This diary was written by John Quincy Adams himself across almost seventy years of his life, from 1779 until shortly before his death in 1848. It is held by the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Why it matters

Few historical figures left such a long and detailed personal record. The diary captures Adams's firsthand observations of politics and diplomacy, offering a rare inside view of decades of American history as he experienced them.

Look closer

  • Why might someone keep a diary for almost seventy years?
  • What kinds of details might Adams have recorded that an official document would leave out?
  • How might Adams's private thoughts differ from his public statements?

This diary entry is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Quincy Adams on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Handwritten manuscript page numbered 29 in brown ink on aged, yellowed paper, in cursive script. The text discusses events in Spain and Portugal, the independence of the Americas, and non-interference by European powers. A small signature 'Adams' appears at the bottom right.Speech

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Monroe Doctrine

James Monroe · 2 December 1823

Handwritten manuscript page on aged paper, bound at left with a dark cord. Title reads 'Treaty of Peace and Amity between His Britannic Majesty and The United States of America', followed by the opening paragraph in cursive script.Document

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Treaty of Ghent

24 December 1814

Map titled 'The Adams-Onís Treaty', showing area claimed by the US before the treaty and results of the new agreement. Shaded regions mark US states, US territories, and Area Ceded by Spain; a red line marks the new boundary along 42 degrees north, the Arkansas and Red Rivers, and 32 degrees north. Labels include Oregon Country, Missouri Territory, and Viceroyalty of New Spain.Document

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Adams–Onís Treaty

1819 (effective 1821)

Title page of the printed 1841 speech 'Argument of John Quincy Adams, before the Supreme Court of the United States, in the case of the United States, appellants, vs. Cinque, and others, Africans, captured in the schooner Amistad'. It notes the speech was delivered February 24 and March 1, 1841, with a review of the case of the Antelope, and was printed in New York by S. W. Benedict, 128 Fulton Street, 1841.Speech

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Argument of John Quincy Adams before the Supreme Court in the case of United States v. Cinque (Amistad)

John Quincy Adams · 24 February and 1 March 1841

Handwritten manuscript on aged paper with faded and crossed-out lines of ink. Legible text reads 'Upon the name of John Quincy Adams... I hold the Resolution to be in direct violation of the Constitution of the United States, of the Rules of this House, and of the rights of my constituents.' Words are struck through and interlined.Document

Primary source

John Quincy Adams handwritten resolution against gag rule

John Quincy Adams · May 1836

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