Thoughts on Government Applicable to the Present State of the American Colonies
by John Adams
| Thoughts on Government | ||
 at the College of William & Mary. |
||
| Author | John Adams | |
| Published | Boston: John Gill | |
| Date | 1776 | |
John Adams was the second President of the United States (1797-1801) as well as the first first Vice President of the United States under George Washington (1789 -1797). Adams was a Founding Father who served on two Continental Congresses, championed American independence from Britain, and later held a long career as diplomat to France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. His work Thoughts on Government, written for George Wythe, was influential for its ideas regarding separation of powers and checks and balances.
Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1735, to Deacon John Adams and his wife Susanna.[1] He attended Harvard College[2] and would eventually practice law in Boston, entering the company of prominent lawyers like Jeremiah Gridley and James Otis, Jr.[3].
Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library
The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library at Colonial Williamsburg owns a copy of the printed version of Adams's letter to Wythe with the following catalog description, 'Library's copy signed on title page: "John Adams to George Wythe" in Adams' hand. Several textual corrections and the date "January 1776" also by Adams.'[4] This could mean that John Adams presented this copy to George Wythe, or it could be a reference by Adams to note which version of the letter he used for publication.[5] Both Brown's Bibliography[6] and George Wythe's Library[7] on LibraryThing include Adams's tract in Wythe's library based on the copy at Colonial Williamsburg. While this copy may not have been Wythe's, it is highly likely he owned a copy of the published version of Adams's essay.
The Wolf Law Library has been unable to locate a copy for purchase.
See also
References
- ↑ John Ferling, John Adams : A Life (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1996) 11.
- ↑ Ferling, John Adams, 15
- ↑ Ferling, John AdamsL/i>, 23-24
- ↑ John Adams, 'Thoughts on Government: Applicable to the Present State of the American colonies. In a Letter from a Gentleman to His Friend' (Boston: John Gill, 1776), https://catalog.libraries.wm.edu/permalink/01COWM_INST/oaj29m/alma991023672029703196.
- ↑ "Thoughts on Government [Editorial Note,"] Founders Online, National Archives, accessed August 28, 2025.
- ↑ Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, 2009, rev. 2023) Microsoft Word document (on file at the Wolf Law Library, William & Mary Law School).
- ↑ LibraryThing, s.v. "Member: George Wythe," accessed on August 28, 2025.