History of the United States of America during the Second Administration of James Madison. 1813-1817. Volume 1

Ancestral overachievers such as great-grandfather John Adams, second president of the United States, and grandfather John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, left Henry Adams feeling smothered and inadequate. As a historian and essayist, however, Adams carved out his own niche. Indeed, writing and traveling helped him to weather the two great tragedies of his life - the suicide of his beloved wife, and his sister's death of tetanus. His works include The Education of Henry Adams (1907), Democracy: An American Novel (1880), and a History of the United States (1885-1891).