Virtual Author Series

A View from Abroad: The Story of John and Abigail Adams in Europe

The Fort Ticonderoga Author Series features presentations by authors of books related to Fort Ticonderoga’s history. 

From 1778 to 1788, the Founding Father and later President John Adams lived in Europe as a diplomat. Joined by his wife, Abigail, in 1784, the two shared rich encounters with famous heads of the European royal courts, including the ill-fated King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette, and the staid British Monarchs King George III and Queen Charlotte. 

In this engaging narrative, A View from Abroad takes us on the first full exploration of the Adams’s lives abroad. Jeanne E. Abrams reveals how the journeys of John and Abigail Adams not only changed the course of their intellectual, political, and cultural development—transforming the couple from provincials to sophisticated world travelers—but most importantly served to strengthen their loyalty to America.

Jeanne E. Abrams is a Professor at the University Libraries and the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver. In addition to A View from Abroad, she is the author of Revolutionary Medicine: The Founding Fathers and Mothers in Sickness and in Health and First Ladies of the Republic: Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and the Creation of an Iconic American Role. 

Your participation in these online programs supports Fort Ticonderoga’s mission to preserve, educate, and provoke an active discussion about the past and its importance to present and future generations.