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Introduction

Written from Philadelphia just days after his arrival, John Adams reassures Abigail while offering his first impressions of the Continental Congress. The letter replies directly to Abigail’s July 7 letter and reveals John balancing homesickness with a growing sense of the gravity of the task before him.

Letter Text

Your letter of the seventh gave me a pleasure that I cannot easily express. I thank you for the account of our family and for the fortitude with which you undertake the many cares that now fall upon you. Though I feel keenly the pain of separation, I am resolved to discharge my duty here with as much diligence and integrity as I am able, trusting that Providence will order events wisely.

The Congress is assembled with a seriousness becoming the occasion. There is a spirit among the delegates that convinces me we are engaged in a cause of great importance, and though opinions differ, there is a common concern for the liberties of this country. I find myself alternately encouraged and anxious, sensible of the weight of responsibility but strengthened by the thought that you bear your share at home with such steadiness. Give my affection to our children, and believe me ever yours.

HAL 1776 Commentary

This reply introduces John Adams in his public role, offering an early glimpse into the deliberative atmosphere of the First Continental Congress. Paired with Abigail’s July 7 letter, it establishes the rhythm of the correspondence: reassurance answered with resolve, domestic endurance meeting political commitment. Together, the two letters mark the opening exchange of a dialogue that will chronicle both a marriage and a revolution.

Source

Founders Online, National Archives.
John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 July 1774.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-01-02-0011