A New York Minute: August 1774 John Adams Writes Of His Experiences In New York City

John Adams (1735 - 1826), second president of the United States, 1796 - 1800.
(Image: Culver Pictures)

Excerpts from the Diaries of John Adams.

20. Saturday - August 1774
We breakfasted at Day's and arrived in the city of New York at ten o'clock, at Hull's, a tavern, the sign the Bunch of Grapes. We rode by several very elegant country seats before we came to the city. This city will be the subject of much speculation to me.

The streets of this town are vastly more regular and elegant than those of Boston, and the houses are more grand, as well as neat. They are almost all painted, brick buildings and all. In our walks they showed us the house of Mr. William Smith, one of their council, and the famous lawyer, Mr. Thomas Smith, etc., Mr. Rivington's store, etc.

22. Monday - August 1774
This morning we took Mr. McDougall into our coach and rode three miles out of town to Mr. Morin Scott's to breakfast - a very pleasant ride. Mr. Scott has an elegant seat there, with Hudson's River just behind his house and a rural prospect all around him. Mr. Scott, his lady, and daughter, and her husband, Mr. Litchfield, were dressed to receive us. We sat in a fine airy entry till called into a front room to breakfast. A more elegant breakfast I never saw - rich place, a very large silver coffeepot, a very large silver teapot, napkins of the very finest materials, toast, and bread and butter in great perfection. After breakfeast a plate of beautiful peaches, another of pears, and another of plums, and a muskmelon were placed on the table.

Mr. Scott, Mr. William Smith, and Mr. Wiliam Livingston are thr triumvirate who figured away in younger life aginst the Church of England, who wrote the "Independent Reflector," "The Watch Tower," and other papers. They are all of them children of Yale College. Scott and livingston are said to be lazy; Smith improves each moment of his time. Livingston is lately removed to New Jersey and is one of the delegates from that province.

23. Tuesday - August 1774
The way we have been in, of breakfasting, dining, drinking coffee, etc, about the city, is very disagreeable on some accounts. Although it introduces us to the acquaintances of many respectable people here, yet it inders us from seeing the college, the churches, the printer's offices and the bookseller' shops, and many other things which we should choose to see.

With all the opulence and splendor of this city, there is very little good breeding to be found. We have been treated with an assidious respect, but I have not seen one real gentleman, one well-bred man, since I came to town. At their entertainments there is no conversation that is agreeable; there is no modesty, no attention to one another. They talk very loud, very fast, and all together. If they ask you a question, before you can utter three words of your answer, they will break out upon you again and talk away.