Charles Francis Adams, Sr.

Who was Charles Francis Adams, Sr.?

Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American historical editor, politician and diplomat. He was the son of President John Quincy Adams and grandson of President John Adams, of whom he wrote a major biography.

Adams served in the Massachusetts State Senate, before running unsuccessfully for Vice-President in the election of 1848. During the Civil War, Adams was Lincoln’s foreign minister in London, where he played a key role in keeping Britain neutral, while southern agents were trying to achieve official recognition of the Confederacy. This meant conducting dialogue with both sides, and monitoring the British connection in the supply of commerce raiders.

He became an overseer of Harvard University, and built a library in honor of his father in Quincy, Massachusetts.