Legal Papers of John Adams
Will be published approx. on 1. January 1965
Book
Hardback
434 pages
978-0-674-52250-3 (ISBN)
Description
Like many another statesman, John Adams entered the political arena by way of the legal profession. Here, gathered together in three volumes, is an inclusive presentation of the important legal cases in which he was involved. Student notes and Commonplace Book, which show the influences on the young law student in 1758 and 1759 are followed by Adams' Pleadings Book, a collection of forms providing a cross-section of the law in eighteenth-century Massachusetts and showing his work as teacher as well as student.
The sixty-four cases documented are divided into sixteen legal categories such as Torts, Property, Domestic Relations, Town Government, Conservation, Religion, Slavery, and Admiralty. They are preceded by editorial headnotes which discuss the background, significance, and importance of each category and case. Careful and thorough footnotes explain textual and legal problems; a register of John Adams' contemporaries furnishes sketches of his colleagues on the bench and bar; and an exhaustive chronology records his growing practice. But the bulk of the material consists of Adams' own notes and minutes, supplemented by court records, letters, depositions of witnesses, and the minutes of other lawyers, as well as extracts from Adams' correspondence and diary to make the record of each case as full as possible. Many of the cases concern events, personalities, and legal struggles directly related to the American Revolution.
The entire third volume of this imposing collection is devoted to the so-called "Boston Massacre." Confronted by a fascinating mass of conflicting evidence, charges and countercharges, and confused and confusing witnesses, many Americans will be surprised to discover that they must revise their notions about what actually happened on that March evening in 1770, why it did, and what ensued.
These three books comprise the first segment of Series III of The Adams Papers. The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation has made possible the editing of these volumes by means of a generous grant to the Harvard Law School.
The sixty-four cases documented are divided into sixteen legal categories such as Torts, Property, Domestic Relations, Town Government, Conservation, Religion, Slavery, and Admiralty. They are preceded by editorial headnotes which discuss the background, significance, and importance of each category and case. Careful and thorough footnotes explain textual and legal problems; a register of John Adams' contemporaries furnishes sketches of his colleagues on the bench and bar; and an exhaustive chronology records his growing practice. But the bulk of the material consists of Adams' own notes and minutes, supplemented by court records, letters, depositions of witnesses, and the minutes of other lawyers, as well as extracts from Adams' correspondence and diary to make the record of each case as full as possible. Many of the cases concern events, personalities, and legal struggles directly related to the American Revolution.
The entire third volume of this imposing collection is devoted to the so-called "Boston Massacre." Confronted by a fascinating mass of conflicting evidence, charges and countercharges, and confused and confusing witnesses, many Americans will be surprised to discover that they must revise their notions about what actually happened on that March evening in 1770, why it did, and what ensued.
These three books comprise the first segment of Series III of The Adams Papers. The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation has made possible the editing of these volumes by means of a generous grant to the Harvard Law School.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
10 halftones
Dimensions
Height: 248 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 102 mm
Weight
3674 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-674-52250-3 (9780674522503)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
L. Kinvin Wroth taught at the University of Maine School of Law and is a graduate of the Law School of Harvard University. Hiller B. Zobel was an associate in the admiralty department of the Boston law firm of Bingham, Dana & Gould and is a graduate of the Law School of Harvard University.
Content
Foreword, by the Honorable Bruce Bromley Descriptive List of Illustrations Preface, by the Editor in Chief Introduction, by the Editors Sources for this Edition The Editorial Method Practice and Procedure John Adams the Lawyer The Massachusetts Bench and Bar: A Biographical Register of John Adams' Contemporaries Acknowledgments Guide to Editorial Apparatus Textual Devices Adams Family Code Names Descriptive Symbols Location Symbols Other Abbreviations and Conventional Terms Short Titles of Works Frequently Cited LAW STUDY Editorial Note Adams' Student Notes, ca. 1758 Adams' Commonplace Book, ca. 1759 ADAMS' PLEADINGS BOOK Editorial Note The Pleadings Book, 1771-1773 TORTS No. I. Bassett v. Mayhew; Mayhew v. Bassett; Mayhew v. Allen, 1762-1768 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Referees' Hearing Paine's Minutes of the Referees' Hearing No. 2. King v. Stewart, 1773-1774 Editorial Note King's Petition to the General Court King's Remonstrance Writ of Review-Stewart et al. v. King Cushing's Report of the Argument King to Silas Burbank Burbank's Release Deposition of Silas Burbank Deposition of John Newbegin Deposition of Jonathan Wingate Threatening Letter Sent to King King's Offer of Settlement Deposition of Jonathan Sayward Adams' Minutes of the Review John Adams to Abigail Adams No. 3. Cottony. Nyc, 1767 Editorial Note Adams' Diary Adams' Minutes of the Trial Paine's Minutes of the Argument Adams' Notes of Authorities Adams' Minutes of the Argument Adams' Minutes of the Evidence Adams' Diary No. 4. Burnam v. Mugford, 1770-1771 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Trial No. 5. Gill v. Mein, 1768-1769 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Trial No. 6. Gray v. Pitts, 1771 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Trial (Inferior Court) Adams' Minutes of the Trial (Superior Court) CONTRACTS No. 7. Porter v. Steel, 1770-1772 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Review Wetmore's Minutes of the Review COMMERCIAL LAW No. 8. Alcock v. Warden, 1766 Editorial Note Adams' Report of the Argument No. 9. Apthorp v. Gardiner, 1766-1768 Editorial Note Writ, Declaration and Return Plea Special Demurrer and Joinder Adams' Minutes of the Argument No. 10. Bancroft v. Lee, 1768-1772 Editorial Note Adams' Notes of Authorities Adams' Minutes of the Trial Adams' Minutes of the Argument (1771) Adams' Minutes of the Argument (1772) Wetmore's Minutes of the Argument No. 11. Crowningshield v. Lee, 1768-1770 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Trial No. 12. Longman v. Mein; Wright & Gill v. Mein, 1770-1771 Editorial Note Correspondence of James Murray, John Fleeming, and Sheriff Stephen Greenleaf Adams' Notes of Authorities Adams' Diary Notes on the Right of Juries PROPERTY No. 13. Prout v. Minot, 1761-1766 Editorial Note Prom's "Bill in Chancery" Adams' Minutes of the Argument No. 14. Keen v. Turner, 1768-1769 Editorial Note Paine's Minutes of the Trial Adams' Minutes of the Trial No. 15. Clap's Will, 1767-1768 Editorial Note Adams' Address and Minutes of the Argument No. 16. Clap v. Randall, 1769 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Trial No. 17. Hill v. Whiting, 1770-1772 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Argument Opinion of Judge Trowbridge Nos. 18 and 79. Prescott v. Keep, 1771-1776; Prescott v. Priest, 1771-1773 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Trial Adams' Abstract of Title Adams' Minutes of the Trial Cushing's Report of the Trial Nos. 20 and 21. Wilkins v. Fuller, 1771-1772; Smith v. Fuller, 1770-1778 Editorial Note Wetmore's Minutes of the Wilkins Trial Adams' Minutes of the Referees' Hearing in Wilkins' Suit Wetmore's Minutes of the Smith Trial DOMESTIC RELATIONS No. 22. Broadstreet v. Broadstreet, 1771-1774 Editorial Note Adams' Notes of Authorities and Minutes of the Hearing No. 23. Dougherty v. Little, 1768 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Trial ADMINISTRATIVE LAW No. 24. Roxbury v. Boston, 1766 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Argument and Decision No. 25. Plympton v. Middleboro, 1766 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Argument Paine's Minutes of the Argument No. 26. Chelsea v. Boston, 1769 Editorial Note Adams' Petition No. 27. Brookline v. Roxbury, 1767-1772 Editorial Note Adams' List of Questions Presented Adams' Notes of Authorities Record Brookline's Account Writ of Certiorari Fitch's Assignment of Errors Notification No. 28. Essane v. Dotey, 1767-1768 Editorial Note Jane Dotey's Examination Record Adams' Assignment of Errors Reasons for the Judgment No. 29. Gage v. Headley, 1768 Editorial Note Adams' Minutes of the Testimony No. 30. Josselyne v. Harrington, 1769-1771 Editorial Note Record Fitch's Assignment of Errors Adams' Minutes of the Testimony