February 21; 1848; the House of Representatives; Washington; D.C.: Congressman John Quincy Adams; rising to speak; suddenly collapses at his desk; two days later; he dies in the Speaker's chamber. The public mourning that followed; writes Paul C. Nagel; "exceeded anything previously seen in America." Forgotten was his failed presidency and his often cold demeanor. It was the memory of an extraordinary human being--one who in his last years had fought heroically for the right of petition and against a war to expand slavery--that drew a grateful people to salute his coffin in the Capitol and to stand by the railroad tracks as his bier was transported from Washington to Boston. Nagel probes deeply into the psyche of this cantankerous; misanthropic; erudite; hardworking son of a former president whose remarkable career spanned many offices: minister to Holland; Russia; and England; U.S. senator; secretary of state; president of the United States (1825-1829); and; finally; U.S. representative (the only ex-president to serve in the House). On the basis of a thorough study of Adams' seventy-year diary; among a host of other documents; the author gives us a richer account than we have yet had of JQA's life--his passionate marriage to Louisa Johnson; his personal tragedies (two sons lost to alcoholism); his brilliant diplomacy; his recurring depression; his exasperating behavior--and shows us why; in the end; only Abraham Lincoln's death evoked a greater outpouring of national sorrow in nineteenth-century America. We come to see how much Adams disliked politics and hoped for more from life than high office; how he sought distinction in literary and scientific endeavors; and drew his greatest pleasure from being a poet; critic; translator; essayist; botanist; and professor of oratory at Harvard; how tension between the public and private Adams vexed his life; and how his frustrations kept him masked and aloof (and unpopular). Nagel's great achievement; in this first biography of America's sixth president in a quarter century; is finally to portray Adams in all his talent and complexity.
#2776588 in Books Harvard University Press 1997-02-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.00 x 6.36 x 9.50l; 1.35 #File Name: 0674802985304 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great StoryBy AvidReaderImagine going to work one day only to be arrested; chained; and dragged back to slavery. This is the nightmare that one man found himself in and the remarkable true story of people who rescued him from it. In a violent time in America's history when the country was being ripped apart over slavery this is the true story of the people who stood up for freedom. You find yourself rooting for the underdog while understanding what incredible odds they were up against. The author has done a tremendous job of researching and documenting hard to find facts that really shed light on an interesting part of Civil War history. This book really filled in the blanks for history on Boston's abolitionists.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Vivid Reminder of the Desire to be FreeBy Daniel J. DundonIn reading about the history of slavery; one tends to forget the efforts some slaves made to be free rather than waiting for the Civil War. However; Gary Collison's book about Shadrach Minkins is a good reminder of just how difficult it was for slaves to escape the plantation and make a life for themselves in the North or in Canada. Collision does a great deal of research to illustrate not only the life of Shadrach Minkins' but also the struggles of many other slaves who wanted a better life. I was especially interested in his portrayal of how the Fugitive Slave Act worked in Boston and how many residents decided to actively resist the law and aid in the escape even at the risk of prison for themselves. It illustrated to me how some laws will be ignored when they run counter to moral principles of citizens. I was somewhat disappointed; however; that so many of the events in Minkins' life were speculated about by the author rather than being derived from records. Understandably that was not the author's fault but more attributed to the secrecy surrounding his life in the North.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Excellent historical overview through one slave's historyBy A CustomerShadrach who?? This book provides amazing insight into the experiences of an unlikely hero whose story should be taught in grade school. A terrific amount of information condensed into a readable; enjoyable package--I can not imagine how difficult it must have been for the author to gather such little-known information. I only regret that I hadn't known the book or its main character years ago.
