Ryerson on Adams’s Political Thinking, 16 Nov.

On Wednesday, 16 November, the Massachusetts Historical Society will welcome back Richard Alan Ryerson, once editor of the Adams Papers. He will speak about his new book, John Adams’s Republic: The One, the Few, and the Many, published by the Johns Hopkins University Press.

The event description says:

Of all the founding fathers, Ryerson argues, John Adams may have worried the most about the problem of social jealousy and political conflict in the new republic. Ryerson explains how these concerns, coupled with Adams’s concept of executive authority and his fear of aristocracy, deeply influenced his political mindset. How, Adams asked, could a self-governing country counter the natural power and influence of wealthy elites and their friends in government? Ryerson argues that he came to believe a strong executive could hold at bay the aristocratic forces that posed the most serious dangers to a republican society.

Registration is required for this event, and there is a $10 fee for non-members. The event starts at 5:30 P.M. with a reception, and Ryerson will speak at 6:00 before signing books.