Elihu Adams

The Adams family is an American political family of English origins that was most prominent from the late 18th century through the early 20th century. The family was based in eastern Massachusetts and was part of the Boston Brahmin community. Its members include two U.S. presidents: John Adams and John Quincy Adams. The family lineage traces back to Henry Adams of Barton St David, Somerset, England, who immigrated to New England around 1638.

Members of the family include Samuel Adams (1722–1803), a revolutionary leader, delegate to the Continental Congress, and governor of Massachusetts. Samuel Adams was a second cousin of John Adams, the second President of the United States, who was born on October 30, 1735 (October 19, 1735, Old Style Julian calendar) in Braintree, Massachusetts. John Adams was the son of John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston and had two younger brothers, Peter (1738–1823) and Elihu (1741–1775). His father was a deacon, farmer, cordwainer, and militia lieutenant, while his mother came from a prominent medical family. John Adams's great-great-grandfather, Henry Adams, immigrated from Braintree, Essex, England, in the 17th century.

John Adams received his early education at a dame school and later attended Braintree Latin School, studying Latin, rhetoric, logic, and arithmetic. His formal schooling began at age six and continued under the supervision of various schoolmasters, including Joseph Cleverly and Joseph Marsh. Adams was raised a Congregationalist but later identified as a Unitarian. His family descended from Puritans, whose religious beliefs shaped early New England culture. The family emphasized the importance of liberty and moral discipline, which Adams acknowledged influenced his upbringing.

Throughout his life, Adams was conscious of his Puritan heritage and felt a duty to uphold the values associated with it. He believed the family tradition included a trust in Providence and human reason, favoring biblical criticism over dogma and skeptical of miracles and hierarchical religious structures. The religious orientation of the family was generally Unitarian, with a belief in a guiding Providence and the moral teachings of Jesus, viewed as a moral teacher rather than a divine figure.

The Adams family's connection with Harvard University is extensive. Several family members attended and graduated from Harvard, including John Adams (class of 1755), John Quincy Adams (class of 1788), Charles Adams (class of 1789), Thomas Boylston Adams (class of 1790), George Washington Adams (class of 1821), John Adams II (expelled shortly before 1823), John Quincy Adams II (class of 1853), Charles Francis Adams Sr. (class of 1825), Charles Francis Adams Jr. (class of 1856), Henry Brooks Adams (class of 1858), Brooks Adams (class of 1870), George Caspar Adams (class of 1886), Charles Francis Adams III (class of 1888), and Charles Francis Adams IV (class of 1932). The family’s association with Harvard extended to a dedicated residential college, Adams House, named after John Adams and other family members.

Beyond academia, the Adams family is commemorated at various historic sites, including the Adams Memorial and the Adams National Historical Park in Massachusetts.

The family tree includes notable members such as Samuel Adams, John Adams, and their descendants, emphasizing a legacy of political and public service spanning multiple generations.