John Quincy Adams

In his "Ripe Fruit" Theory, John Quincy Adams argued that Cuba, then a Spanish colony, would gravitate toward the United States once its unnatural connection with Spain was severed. Comparing Cuba to a ripe fruit, Adams argued that the laws of political gravitation would bring the island…

<p><span class="deck"> <span class="typestyle"> Amid the intrigue of the Russian court, John Quincy Adams took walks with Alexander I, spoke up for America, and scored a diplomatic triumph.</span> </span></p>

<p><span class="deck">All that the Adamses saw they were schooled to put down and save. The result is a collection of historical records beyond price and without peer.</span> </p>

<p><span class="deck"> How gnarled, upright ex-President John Quincy Adams broke the South’s gag rule in Congress and at last won popular applause</span> </p>

<p><span class="deck"> The idea goes back to the very beginnings of our national history. Then as now, it was built upon human relationships, and these—as Mr. Jefferson found to his sorrow—make a fragile foundation.</span> </p>

<p>The broad expanse of ocean that separated Plymouth from Mother England helped create a novel experiment in democracy that grew as the American colonies expanded.</p>

<p><span class="deck">And in doing so, the fate of Congress—will it be weak? will it be strong?—is determined</span></p>

<p><span class="deck"> <span class="typestyle"> One man measures his life-span against the length of recorded history and finds tidings of comfort and hope</span> </span></p>

<p><span class="deck"> Buried here, along with hundreds of congressmen and various Indian chiefs, are Mathew Brady, John Philip Sousa, and J. Edgar Hoover</span> </p>

<p><span class="deck"> <span class="typestyle"> In a new book, the political journalist and columnist Richard Reeves retraces Alexis de Tocqueville’s remarkable 1831-32 journey through America. Reeves's conclusion: Tocqueville not only deserves his reputation as the greatest observer of our democracy—he is an incomparable guide to what is happening in our country now.</span> </span></p>

<p><span class="deck">On the 150th anniversary of Texan independence, we trace the fierce negotiations that brought the republic into the union.</span></p>

<p><span class="deck">The framers of the Constitution were proud of what they had done but might be astonished that their words still carry so much weight. A distinguished scholar tells us how the great charter has survived and flourished.</span></p>

<p><span class="deck">A man who has spent his life helping transform old photos from agreeable curiosities into a vital historical tool explains their magical power to bring the past into the present.</span></p>

<p><span class="deck">WHAT’S AN EX-PRESIDENT TO DO?</span></p>

<p><span class="deck"> <span class="typestyle"> Never before published, Frederic Bancroft’s diary jottings give an intimate picture of a great historian at his leisure</span> </span></p>

<p><span class="deck"> As Adams and Jefferson died, America came of age</span> </p>