John Quincy Adams and American Global Empire [Paperback]

William Earl Weeks (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Weeks (American history, San Diego State Univ.) paints a detailed and ultimately unflattering portrait of John Quincy Adams in his role as U.S. secretary of state (1817-25). While touching on Adams's life and personality, the book focuses on his successful negotiations with Spain to acquire Florida and a U.S. claim to the Pacific. His able diplomacy made possible Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine, but Adams came to regret the machinations he used to get a better deal. The ironies of the affair haunted him, and he decided later that he had paid too high a price to satisfy the ambition he denied having. Like much good history, this book uses the story of a single event to reveal a great deal about the era in which it took place--and something about our own times as well. For all large history collections.
- Gary Williams, Southeastern Ohio Regional Lib., Caldwell
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"An excellent acquisition in a period of American diplomatic history that has had too little recent scholarly attention." -- Choice

"An intelligently argued and tightly written study that ably explores both Spanish-American relations and the complex and contradictory mind of John Quincy Adams." -- Journal of the Early Republic

"Uses the story of a single event to reveal a great deal about the era in which it took place -- and something about our own times as well." -- Library Journal

"An impressive synthesis of interpretations, personal information about Adams, his wife, and his family, and the details of the negotiations through which Florida was acquired and a borderline to the Pacific for the US and Spain was drawn." -- Choice

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (October 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813190584
• ISBN-13: 978-0813190587
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( A ) > Adams, John

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing study of American diplomatic history!, February 19, 2009

By 

C.P.M. "Cicero" (Highland, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: John Quincy Adams and American Global Empire (Paperback)

An amazing study of John Quincy Adams, U.S. diplomatic history during the Monroe presidency, and the origins of Manifest Destiny. Weeks makes a great case for Adams being our nation's greatest secretary of state. Focusing on the negotiations for the Adams-Onis/Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, Weeks shows how statesmen truly negotiate and the negative consequences it may entail, as Adams would both glory in extending his nations borders and be disgusted by the expansion of slavery he unwittingly aided. In some ways, it is also a morality tale as Weeks calls into question Adams's character, accusing "Old Man Eloquent" of tremendous hypocrisy in his dealings with Congress, Spain, and Pres. Monroe. Weeks also makes an undeniable case for seeing Adams's statesmanship as the true beginning of the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny. This should be read by all students of U.S. history and U.S. foreign policy as it offers great insights to both our country's heritage and politics.