The diary of John Quincy Adams is one of the most extraordinary works in American literature. Begun in 1779 at the age of twelve and kept more or less faithfully until his death almost 70 years later, it is both an unrivaled record of historical events and personalities from the nation's founding to the antebellum era and a masterpiece of American self-portraiture, tracing the spiritual, literary, and scientific interests of an exceptionally lively...

The collection consists of miscellaneous items collected by Daniel Berkeley Updike, chiefly letters and documents relating to American history, many of which specifically relate to the federal period and New England history. Included are autograph letters of many notable individuals and political and military figures. The collection is organized alphabetically by correspondent. A card catalog index is also available in the Special Collections Reading...