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Introduction

Written shortly after his arrival in France, this letter captures John Adams adjusting to diplomatic life abroad and confronting the isolation that came with his new post. It replies to Abigail’s earlier correspondence and reflects both his sense of duty and his longing for the familiarity of home.

Letter Text

I am arrived in this country, after a voyage attended with many inconveniences and dangers, but through the goodness of Providence am in health and spirits. The scene before me is new and curious, and though I am treated with civility, I cannot yet say that I feel myself at home. The language, the manners, and the customs are all different from ours, and I find myself more a stranger than I had anticipated.

The business upon which I am sent is of the utmost importance, and I shall apply myself to it with all the diligence I am capable of. Yet I confess that I often feel a painful sense of separation from you and from our family. In moments of discouragement, I derive my principal comfort from the recollection of your fortitude and affection, which have never failed me. Pray continue to write as often as you can, for your letters will be my greatest solace in this distant land.

HAL 1776 Commentary

This letter marks the opening of a new chapter in the Adams correspondence, as the Revolution extends beyond America’s shores into the realm of international diplomacy. John Adams’s reflections reveal the personal cost of representing a young nation abroad, where cultural distance compounded emotional separation. Within the broader series, the letter underscores how the struggle for independence required sacrifice not only at home and on the battlefield, but across oceans and unfamiliar courts.

Source

Founders Online, National Archives.
John Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 February 1778.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-03-02-0053