The Adams Chronicles

In our BiCentennial year of 1976, PBS produced this fine series, not just limited to founder John Adams, but for four generations of the Adams family which can rightfully be called our first American political dynasty.

The Adams family and not Charles Addams's characters are revisited every so often by historians and recently David McCullough got many honors for his new biography of redoubtable John Adams. In this series John was played in the many stages of his almost 91 year life by George Grizzard.

Grizzard does well with the part at every stage of the Adams career from his days in the American Revolution to his death at the Adams home in Quincy. Adams was one of our most complex of founders. He was brave, brilliant, and a man of principle to the highest degree. He was also incredibly vain and could be arrogant on occasion.

Historians tend to rate him higher as president as versus his overall career than I think they should. As our second president under the Constitution, Adams presided over a period of development of our governmental institutions. He made the mistake of retaining Washington's cabinet as is instead of forming his own. That was understandable, but what he also did is for the first two years of his presidency spent all his time in Braintree at the family estate instead of Philadelphia tending to business. The cabinet fell under the charismatic sway of Alexander Hamilton.

We were in an undeclared naval war with France at the time that could have gotten formal. When Adams did finally stir to action he did fire most of his cabinet and did in fact eventually gain a truce with France. Probably at the cost of his presidency. My contention always has been if he'd paid attention to business in the first place it all need not have gone that far.

John Quincy Adams is played by several actors in various stages of life, but most prominently by William Daniels who in fact played John Adams in 1776. Quincy was one chip off the old block. Unfortunately he gained his one term in the White House through a brokered deal with Henry Clay when the Electoral College was deadlocked. The cry of 'corrupt bargain' rang through the land as supporters of plurality winner Andrew Jackson yelled foul. Mainly because Henry Clay didn't cut his deal with them. Still Adams was a lame duck incumbent almost from the gitgo.

Adams is probably one of the five people most historians will name as one of our best Secretarys of State which he was under his immediate predecessor James Monroe. He held many positions before that and after his presidency was elected to the House of Representatives from the Quincy, Massachusetts area. Some of that story is familiar to current moviegoers from the film Amistad where Anthony Hopkins played John Quincy Adams.

The Adams family had their dull carbon mixed in the diamonds. John Adams's other son Charles died an alcoholic, John Quincy Adams's oldest George Washington Adams was a wastrel and drowned in a ferry accident or possible suicide. Both deaths occurred right around the defeats of both men for a second term.

The saga continued on with Charles Francis Adams best known as our Minister to the United Kingdom during the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction. It was the key diplomatic post during the Civil War. Adams deserves a lot of credit for keeping Great Britain out of war with us, the Palmerston government would have loved an excuse to intervene on behalf of the Confederacy. This Adams is played by John Beal and the series concludes with the distinguished careers of his sons, writers Henry and Brooks, and railroad executive Charles Francis Adams,II.

Another Charles Francis Adams, the son of Charles II, was a Secretary of the Navy in the cabinet of Herbert Hoover. But that's after the time period of this series concludes. I'm sure the United States of America has not seen the last of the Adams family in public service.

Still with the renewed interest in John, it would be nice if this PBS mini-series was made available on DVD and/or VHS.

For those of us who fondly remember the bicentennial celebrations that took place in 1976, will probably also remember watching the 13 episodes of Adams Chronicles.

They followed the British miniseries format by using actors who had done stage work, lavish costumes, studio sets and exterior shots at locations that fit the scene.

The story revolves around John and Abigail Adams in the first five episodes; their son and his wife John Quincy and Louisa Catherine in four episodes; and grandson Charles Frances and both of his sons Henry and Brooke each have an episode.

John Adams was an important figure in the founding of our country, but he got lost in the shuffle because he was outshone by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and even his cousin Sam Adams. But his contributions may have even been greater because he got financial help from Holland during the latter part of the Revolution; helped Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence; through the groaning of Congress set up protocol such as how to address the President; and kept us out of war when everyone was screaming to get involved in the European mess in the final two years of the 18th century.

John's son and grandson also played important roles in helping this country to become the power that it became. But one has to remember there is always personal costs when you are in that position.

Fortunately Acorn Media has release the miniseries on DVD and it is a pleasure to see it again after so many years.

This Mini is by far one of the best to be produced by PBS. Its success was helped largely in part by the fact that it came out during the bicentennial year, but even had that not been the case it still would have done well. I certainly made me interested in American History, and I am sure that it probably inspired others as well.

The cast is populated by several well known Broadway and television actors (including William Daniels who does a turn this time as John Quincy rather than the role he created in "1776"), and the majority of the performances are outstanding, particularly George Grizzard, Kathryn Walker, and Pamela Payton-Wright. If you every get a chance to see this mini...DO!

I've also seen "The Adams Chronicles" in the mid-1970s when I was a College Student. I've skimmed through the published Adams Papers, witch lots of letters between Abigail and John Adams, and the series has captured the flavor of the Adams, with their love and intellectual exchanges with each other.

John Adams may have a lot to learn about good PR, but Abigail must have been one of the smartest and well-informed first ladies the US has ever had.

I wish I could buy the video series, but there appears to be none available. The film apparently is available in far-off university libraries throughout the country.

I bought my copy back in 2009 or 2010 I would say; 4 DVD's, from amazon; recently made it to Quincy, the first 3 disks are very interesting and were obviously a back-bone and were reviewed for the HBO Adam's mini-series; many things are factually different when we first watched, the Adam's Chronicles is more accurate depiction of John and JQA. the later un-explored years of the Adam's family is unique, to my knowledge no other documentary exists beyond the lives of the original John and John Quincy Adams. One must also note and mention HENRY ADAMS who came to the shores of America within 50 years of Columbus landing here with 8 SONS, yes 8 sons, from Great Britain and founded co-founded or founded Quincy. I visited his grave site in Hancock Cemetery in the Center of Quincy. Amazing. What disappointed me is that the houses are surrounded by suburbs, I thought there would be vast farmlands, nope, it's all city. Very nice city. The town is pleasant and I encourage people that visit to stay close. May as well. We went to Boston for as much to visit Quincy, the old houses, Braintree, the presidential tombs, Abigal's birthplace and house, Hancock Cemetery and each great Italian. There is a GREAT Italian restaurant right down the street from the old houses. If's Magnificent! You must visit Alfredo's only a block up the street! You can buy tour tickets for the house downtown, and take their trolly's to do the escorted tours of the house, then go back and do pictures and have great Italian. It's worthwhile. First ever trip to Boston and we spent at least 50% of the time in Quincy.

The Boston Musiunm of Fine Arts has an excellent collection of George Washington and Adam's family portraits. Tickets are expensive BUT good for return visit. I think we could have gone back several times. The museum is superior to any other I've seen in the states and rivals anything I've seen in 3 European Country.

After so many years since the release of the ADAMS CHRONICLES I would like to thank PBS and WNET for this production. Grab your copy of this DVD collection on amazon if you can!!!!!!!!