The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

He published extensively in journals during this period and earned a reputation as a reformer, especially in articles dealing with American finance and the New York gold conspiracy. Returning to the States in July 1868, Henry concentrated on a career as a freelance political journalist in Washington. The American Civil War years (1861-1865) were especially intriguing because his father's work dealt with pro-Confederacy interests and successfully tried to keep England neutral. Henry continued as private secretary to his father during Charles Francis Adams's tenure as Minister to England (1861-1868) until January 1862, he was also the secret London correspondent of the New York Times, a situation that nearly caused him and his father considerable embarrassment (see Chapter VIII of the Critical Commentaries). He was also Washington correspondent for the Boston Daily Advertiser during this volatile period, just before the beginning of the Civil War. Returning home in October 1860, Henry served in Washington as private secretary to his father, a member of Congress. He spent most of 1859-1860 seeing Europe, significantly beginning his writing career by publishing travel letters in the Boston Daily Courier. Finding his German inadequate, he enrolled in a German secondary school. Adams's specific plan was to study civil law in Berlin. Following graduation in 1858, Henry sailed with several friends for the 'Grand Tour' of Europe, a tradition that some of the privileged young men of the day enjoyed. Throughout his life, Adams was critical of formal education even Harvard could not escape his scorn. Henry was only an average student at Harvard but did contribute to the Harvard Magazine and was Class Orator for graduation. On August 31 of that year, he began his collegiate studies at Harvard.

Dixwell in Boston where he was graduated in June 1854. His formal childhood schooling was at the private Latin School of E. with his father in 1850 exposed Henry to slavery and left a lasting impression he and his family strongly opposed the institution. A trip to Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D. A nearly fatal bout of scarlet fever shortly before his fourth birthday may have accounted for Adams's diminished physical stature (barely five feet three inches tall as an adult). Henry's boyhood memories included pleasant summers spent at Quincy, the residence of his paternal grandparents located seven miles south of Boston. Henry's distinguished family included a great-grandfather, John Adams (1735-1826), who was the second President of the United States, as well as a grandfather, John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), the sixth President of the United States. Henry Brooks Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 16, 1838, the fourth of seven children of Charles Francis Adams and Abigail Brooks Adams.

The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams