Papers of John Adams, Volumes 3 and 4, May 1775 - August 1776 (Adams Papers)

The Adams Papers project was initiated by the Massachusetts Historical Society in the 1950s to curate and publish the extensive personal and political records of the Adams family. This monumental scholarly undertaking aims to provide a definitive, annotated record of the lives of John and Abigail Adams and their descendants. Volumes 3 and 4 of the 'General Correspondence and Other Papers of the Adams Statesmen' series, published in 1979 by Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, document the critical period from May 1775 to August 1776, capturing John Adams's pivotal involvement in the Continental Congress during the push for American independence.

The editorial design of these volumes adheres to rigorous historical standards established by L.H. Butterfield and his successors. The volumes were crafted to function not merely as a collection of letters, but as a contextual narrative, featuring scholarly introductions and detailed footnotes that illuminate the political landscape of the American Revolution. The project is widely recognized in academic circles as a gold standard for documentary editing, valued for its commitment to preserving the intellectual rigor and nuances of John Adams’s original writings.