Among Henry Adams’s many publications, in addition to the Education, four are especially representative: the novel Democracy, the biography of John Randolph, the History of the United States of America during the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and the Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres. Each illustrates a different aspect of Adams’s intellect and contributes to his reputation as a writer of diverse talents and interests.
Democracy An American Novel was printed anonymously in the United States and England in 1880 and was an immediate popular success. With the viewpoint of an insider, Adams quickly shows, through an inquiring but initially naïve female protagonist, that the title is ironic as he exposes the political and personal corruption of Washington. The prototype of this corruption is the fictional Silas P. Ratcliffe, a scoundrel devoted to power rather than principle. The President of the United States, nicknamed “Old Granite” because he formerly worked in a quarry, represents the lowest common denominator of the people who elected him. Somewhat reminiscent of Adams’s opinion of President Grant, Old Granite is incapable of coping with the dastardly but brilliant Ratcliffe or any of the complexities of office. Despite its commercial success, the novel has never received much critical acclaim. For Adams, it was a diversion, an entertaining outlet for his wit as well as some of the frustrations left over from his days as a reform journalist. In 1885, he presented the copyright to the National Civil Service Reform League. A 1925 printing was the first to name Henry Adams as author.
In late March or early April 1881 (despite Henry’s lack of sympathy for Southerners and, specifically, for John Randolph), John T. Morse, Jr., the editor of the “American Statesmen” series, invited Adams to take on the project of writing the biography of the Virginia orator and politician. Adams pursued the assignment with vigor, producing what Ernest Samuels in The Middle Years refers to as one of Henry’s “portraits in acid.” Randolph was a member of the House of Representatives at the age of twenty-six (1799), during the John Adams administration (1797–1801), and a United States Senator during John Quincy Adams’s administration (1825–1829); he was a leading political opponent of Henry’s great-grandfather as well as his grandfather. Randolph strongly advocated the States’ Rights position, supporting the autonomy of individual states and limiting the strength of the federal government, including the Supreme Court. He even converted John Quincy Adams’s Vice President, John C. Calhoun, to the States’ Rights cause; because of its impact on slavery, the States’ Rights issue would remain a major factor leading up to the Civil War. Published in 1882, the biography of Randolph offers some of Henry’s liveliest writing; nevertheless, the consensus is that Henry’s passion is too obviously biased in favor of the Adams family.
Adams expected his nine-volume History of the United States of America during the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (1889–1891) to be his crowning achievement. He tried to make the work as accessible as possible by using simple language, many primary sources, and a format that would be easy to read. While historians have always respected the work, Adams was disappointed that it was not a popular success, perhaps overestimating the public’s enthusiasm for a history of this length. The tone is often abrasive, as it is in the John Randolph; Adams is quick to criticize Jefferson and Madison, the former for vacillation concerning the Constitutional problems with the Louisiana Purchase; the latter for his conduct of the War of 1812. Of the two, Adams admires and identifies more with Jefferson, whom he justifiably sees as a fellow intellectual and a man of taste, despite his being a Virginian.
Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres (1904) is a historical, philosophical consideration of thirteenth-century Christianity as symbolized by the architecture and icons of two famous French cathedrals built during that period. It is also an invitation to visit the churches (someday, perhaps, in person) and the era (in your imagination). Chartres is of primary interest. In it Adams sees the embodiment of a kind of unity and purpose now lost. Despite his enthusiasm for scientific method, Adams is nostalgic for the simple clarity of the past. The point of view is admittedly subjective; Adams creates an “uncle” who is part mentor, part tour guide, to a younger generation. Within that context, the book is a timeless classic. As Ferman Bishop writes, “[This work] retains all of its power to evoke the spirit of the Middle Ages. More than any other book, it captures the feeling of the Age of Faith.”
