Before John Quincy: a checklist
I can’t stop talking about how I’m pretty sure I’m related to Presidents Adams and how I discovered that while working on a presentation about John Adams. (Or, slightly more accurately, while not working on said presentation.)
Even more exciting — my presentation on John Quincy Adams is coming up! I’ve made myself a list of things to see and do before then. (Many items on this list were recommended by people who were there for my Adams presentation.)
JOIN US JUNE 12
It’s free! And virtual! And all about JQA! Here are the details and how to register.
I’m gonna be honest — I’m not going to get to all of these things before June 12. But I check off a bunch of them, gather some photos and doodles, and circle back for the others later.
☐ Read America’s Founding Son
I’ve already read two books about JQA. Even though Bob Crawford’s new book America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick sounded intriguing, I wasn’t planning to bump it up in my reading list. Until I found out we’re distant cousins. (Not me and Crawford.) Then I went ahead and preordered it. One can’t read enough books about people one is related to.
Probably.
I think that’s how it works. I’m still new at this though.
I’ve started reading it and it’s fabulous and the illustrations are incredible (see?). In any case, I’ll have a fresh batch of JQA doodles to add to my presentation. Hooray!
☐ Frame my new JQA print
I was lucky to receive a print of one of Garrett Morlan’s illustrations from the book … and even more lucky that it was not the illustration of John C. Calhoun. Have I framed it yet? No. No, I have not. Will it help my presentation to have John Quincy Adams shaking his finger at me? Too soon to tell.
☐ Visit Adams National Park
I wanted to go to John Adams and John Quincy Adams’ birthplaces when I was in Boston last summer for History Camp. The only day I was free, the houses weren’t open. I need pics of the real deal to go with my doodle!
☐ Visit United First Parish Church
Final resting place of First Ladies Abigail Adams and Louisa Catherine Adams and their husbands!
☐ Visit Boston Public Library
They have 3,000 books from John Adams’ library and his family’s library. Can regular people just go in and see this? I don’t know. I have more research to do.
☐ Read about Samuel Adams
I’m related to him, too, but don’t know much. 🍻The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff looks like a good choice.
☐ Visit the Massachusetts Historical Society
Really excited about this! Their website is a treasure trove and it’s how I discovered that John Quincy Adams mentioned my ancestor in his diary (“a young man by the name of Rockwood”).
Eventually, I want to spend some time there going through documents (I’ve never done that before!) but for now I’ll settle for a quick visit and tour. They also have some photographs by George G. Rockwood, who is a complete mystery to me (genealogically-speaking) but I want very much to be related to somehow. I will crack this at some point! Probably not at MHS, since he was a New Yorker.
How I’ve managed to connect myself however tangentially to the Livingstons, Jeffersons, Randolphs, and Roosevelts, but not to a man who I’ve shared a name, state, and presidential fascination with is beyond me.
☐ Visit Abigail Adams Cairn
Where Abigail and John Quincy watched the Battle of Bunker Hill.
☐ Take a tour with a Willard
The tour guide is a Willard and wrote a book about a Willard. Plus, the tour includes the USS Constitution … which I’ve been wanting to see!
☐ Visit Willard House & Clock Museum
(I’m related to the Willards, too.) Most likely, this will be a separate trip when I have more time. (Get it? Cause it’s clocks?)
☐ Bring my giant new Presidents Adams stamp and stamp a bunch of things for strangers
Probably not going to do this. But it made me laugh a bit to think about whipping it out at Adams National Park.
☐ Get a John Quincy Adams tattoo
Kidding. I think. I actually have an idea that I kind of love.
☐ Visit the Adams Memorial
This is a memorial to Clover Adams, Henry Adams’ wife. (JQA is Henry’s grandfather.) It’s in New Hampshire, so unlikely to happen on a trip to Boston. Her story is interesting and tragic and I need to learn more about her.
☐ Meet a Tory IRL
✔️ Read this
I just needed some low-hanging fruit so I could have the satisfaction of checking something off. Done!
(Full disclosure: I let Dr. Lindsey M. Chervinsky read it to me. Still counts.)
“I call it Destiny”