Charles Adams (1770–1800)

For other people named Charles Adams, see the Charles Adams navigation page

Charles Adams
Born	May 29, 1770 Quincy, Massachusetts
Died	New York City

Charles Adams (May 29, 1770 – November 30, 1800) was the second son of President John Adams and his wife, Abigail (Smith) Adams. After struggling with alcoholism for many years, he died of cirrhosis of the liver on November 30, 1800.

At the age of nine he traveled with his father and older brother John Quincy to Europe, studied briefly in Passy, Amsterdam, and Leiden. He matriculated in Leiden January 29, 1781.

In December 1781, Adams returned to America unaccompanied by family members. After graduating from Harvard University in 1789, he studied law and established his practice in New York.

On August 29, 1795, Adams married Sally Smith (1769–1828), the sister of his brother-in-law, William Stephens Smith. They had two daughters, Susanna Boylston (1796–1884) and Abigail Louisa Smith (1798–1836). At the age of 37, Abigail Louisa died of uterine cancer.

Depictions in popular culture

In 2008, HBO presented the miniseries entitled John Adams based on the book by David McCullough. This biographical presentation represents Charles Adams (played by Irish actor Kevin Trainor) as a drunken, irresponsible man with weak character who brings disgrace to his family and is disowned by his father, President John Adams. However, the series also depicts President Adams' actions as a possible influence on Charles's development; he was a frequently absent father whose political life separated him from his family for extended periods, and he did not approve of Charles's choices as an adult. Historians, however, have pointed out the inaccuracies of the series' representation of their relationship.

External links

• Charles Adams at Find a Grave
• The Adams Family
• Charles Adams