John Adams and the Cradle of Liberty

FAIN: AH-309406-25

Abigail Adams Institute, Inc. The (Cambridge, MA 02138-5106)
Maura Cahill (Project Director: May 2025 to present)

A series of events, to include public lectures, seminars, a film viewing, and tours of historic sites and archives, focused on the work and legacy of John Adams.

The key themes and topics we would hope to explore through the project's events include the life and times of the Founding’s pivotal intellectual and political figure, John Adams, and his wife, and our namesake, Abigail Adams. Our primary interest is in the question of American exceptionalism, with a focus on the revolutionary Founding. The works of John Adams in constitutional theory serve as the high point of this project. Leading up to it, we are eager to explore what he read and how he integrated the ideas of luminaries such as Montesquieu. Equally important, we would like to focus on his personal formation, his close relationship with Abigail, and how they built an American dynasty. The final parts of our explorations would focus on John Adams’ specifically American legacy, and larger impact on our public life.