The Adams Chronicles
Encyclopedia
The Adams Chronicles is a thirteen-episode miniseries by PBS
that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial.
over a 150-year span, including John Adams
(signer of the Declaration, accomplished diplomat, and the 2nd President), his wife Abigail Adams
, his son John Quincy Adams
(acclaimed Secretary of State, the 6th President, and prominent abolitionist Congressman), grandson Charles Francis Adams
, congressman and ambassador to Great Britain during the Civil War, and much-heralded members of the fourth generation Henry Brooks Adams, the historian and author of the novel Democracy
, and Charles Francis Adams II, the industrialist.
The most prominent role in the series is John Adams, played by George Grizzard
. His views dominate the series even after his death, on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the passage of the United States Declaration of Independence
. As a result of his achievements during the revolution, and afterwards as vice president and president, subsequent Adams generations have a hard time dealing with this legacy of public service and accomplishment and frequently wonder if they are measuring up to their distinguished ancestry. In the end, the members of the fourth generation feel that the time in which the Adams family can play a prominent role in the affairs of the nation has passed.
Chapter II: John Adams, Revolutionary
Chapter III: John Adams, Diplomat
Chapter IV: John Adams, Minister to Great Britain
Chapter V: John Adams, Vice President
Chapter VI: John Adams, President
Chapter VII: John Quincy Adams, Diplomat
Chapter VIII: John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State
Chapter IX: John Quincy Adams, President
Chapter X: John Quincy Adams, Congressman
Chapter XI: Charles Francis Adams, Minister to Great Britain
Chapter XII: Henry Adams, Historian
Chapter XIII: Charles Francis Adams II, Industrialist
U.S. politicians
British dignitaries, politicians, others
Foreign dignitaries, politicians, others
Other Americans
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama or Comedy Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Alvin Colt
, Costume Designer
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – William C. Knight, Lighting Director; George Riesenberger, Lighting Director
Outstanding Achievement in Tape Sound Mixing – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Emil Neroda, Sound Mixer
Outstanding Art Direction or Scenic Design for a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Ed Wittstein, Production Designer
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Fred Coe
, Director
Outstanding Limited Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – James Cellan-Jones, Producer; Fred Coe
, Producer; Robert Costello, Coordinating Producer; Virginia Kassel, Series Producer; Jac Venza
, Executive Producer
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Tad Mosel
, Writer
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Roger O. Hirson
, Writer
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Ed Wittstein, Art Director
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Alvin Colt
, Costume Designer
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Girish Bhargava, Graphic Design; Bill Mandel, Graphic Design
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Billy Knight
, Lighting Director; Dick Weiss, Lighting Director
Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Leonard Chumbley, Technical Director; Walter Edel, Cameraman; John Feher, Cameraman; Steve Zink, Cameraman
Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing for a Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Girish Bhargava, Editor; Manford Schorn, Editor
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – George Grizzard
Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Performance – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Kathryn Walker
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Pamela Payton-Wright
Outstanding Limited Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Paul Bogart
, Producer; Fred Coe
, Producer; Robert Costello, Producer; James Cellan Jones, Producer; Virginia Kassel, Series Producer; Jac Venza
, Executive Producer
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Sherman Yellen
, Writer
on May 13, 2008.
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial.
Synopsis
The series chronicles the story of the Adams political familyAdams political family
The Adams family was a prominent political family in the United States during the late 18th century through early 20th centuries. Based in eastern Massachusetts, they formed part of the Boston Brahmin community.-Members:...
over a 150-year span, including John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
(signer of the Declaration, accomplished diplomat, and the 2nd President), his wife Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams, who was the second President of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth...
, his son John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
(acclaimed Secretary of State, the 6th President, and prominent abolitionist Congressman), grandson Charles Francis Adams
Charles Francis Adams, Sr.
Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. He was the grandson of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and the son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams....
, congressman and ambassador to Great Britain during the Civil War, and much-heralded members of the fourth generation Henry Brooks Adams, the historian and author of the novel Democracy
Democracy: An American Novel
Democracy: An American Novel is a political novel written by Henry Brooks Adams and published anonymously in 1880. Only after the writer's death in 1918 did his publisher reveal Adams's authorship although, upon publication, the novel had immediately become popular...
, and Charles Francis Adams II, the industrialist.
The most prominent role in the series is John Adams, played by George Grizzard
George Grizzard
George Cooper Grizzard, Jr. was an American actor of film and stage. He appeared in more than 40 films, dozens of television programs and a number of Broadway plays.-Life and career:...
. His views dominate the series even after his death, on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the passage of the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
. As a result of his achievements during the revolution, and afterwards as vice president and president, subsequent Adams generations have a hard time dealing with this legacy of public service and accomplishment and frequently wonder if they are measuring up to their distinguished ancestry. In the end, the members of the fourth generation feel that the time in which the Adams family can play a prominent role in the affairs of the nation has passed.
Episode list
Chapter I: John Adams, LawyerChapter II: John Adams, Revolutionary
Chapter III: John Adams, Diplomat
- John Adams and his temperament find little diplomatic success in France, where Franklin is widely appreciated. However Adams negotiates a large loan in the Netherlands. John Quincy Adams is dispatched to Russia as a diplomat's secretary due to his great facility for languages. Adams concludes the Treaty of ParisTreaty of Paris (1783)The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
.
Chapter IV: John Adams, Minister to Great Britain
Chapter V: John Adams, Vice President
- With Gen. Washington as President, Adams becomes Vice-President and head of the Senate. When Jefferson's Republicans and Hamilton's Federalists have strongly conflicting views over the French Revolutionary war, Adams finds himself in the middle. Adams is elected second President of the United States.
Chapter VI: John Adams, President
- Increasingly exasperating relations with France lead to the XYZ AffairXYZ AffairThe XYZ Affair was a 1798 diplomatic episode during the administration of John Adams that Americans interpreted as an insult from France. It led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War, which raged at sea from 1798 to 1800...
, then the Quasi-WarQuasi-WarThe Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
.
Chapter VII: John Quincy Adams, Diplomat
- In GhentGhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Adams and his delegation struggle to negotiate an end to the War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Chapter VIII: John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State
- During the Seminole War, the executions of Arbuthnot and Ambrister in Spanish FloridaSpanish FloridaSpanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
create a diplomatic incident. The United States and Britain consider whether to make a joint statement on the wars in South America, but this evolves into the Monroe DoctrineMonroe DoctrineThe Monroe Doctrine is a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention...
. In the presidential election, Henry ClayHenry ClayHenry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
is the kingmakerKingmakerKingmaker is a term originally applied to the activities of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick — "Warwick the Kingmaker" — during the Wars of the Roses in England. The term has come to be applied more generally to a person or group that has great influence in a royal or political succession,...
. Adams becomes sixth President.
Chapter IX: John Quincy Adams, President
Chapter X: John Quincy Adams, Congressman
Chapter XI: Charles Francis Adams, Minister to Great Britain
Chapter XII: Henry Adams, Historian
Chapter XIII: Charles Francis Adams II, Industrialist
Cast
Adams family- George GrizzardGeorge GrizzardGeorge Cooper Grizzard, Jr. was an American actor of film and stage. He appeared in more than 40 films, dozens of television programs and a number of Broadway plays.-Life and career:...
as John AdamsJohn AdamsJohn Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
(Chapters I–VI, VIII–IX) - Kathryn WalkerKathryn WalkerKathryn Walker is an American theater, television and film actress. She was with Douglas Kenney for many years until his death in 1980 at the age of 32, and was married to singer James Taylor from 1985 to 1995...
as Abigail AdamsAbigail AdamsAbigail Adams was the wife of John Adams, who was the second President of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth...
(Chapters I–IV) - Leora DanaLeora DanaLeora Dana was an American film, stage and television actress....
as Abigail AdamsAbigail AdamsAbigail Adams was the wife of John Adams, who was the second President of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth...
(Chapters V–VI, VIII) Age 44-74 - Addison PowellAddison PowellAddison Powell was an American actor whose numerous television, stage and film credits included Dark Shadows, The Thomas Crown Affair and Three Days of the Condor. He was best known for playing Dr. Eric Lang, a mad scientist who created Adam, on Dark Shadows.Powell was born in 1921 in Belmont,...
as The Reverend Smith (father of Abigail Adams) (Chapter I) - Nancy MarchandNancy MarchandNancy Marchand was an American actress, whose career encompassed both stage and screen. She appeared in various theatre productions throughout the early 1950s, before being offered roles on film and television....
as Mrs. Smith (mother of Abigail Adams) (Chapters I–II) - J. C. Powell as Charles AdamsCharles Adams (1770–1800)Charles Adams was the second son of President John Adams and his wife, Abigail Adams. He died of alcoholism in 1800....
(boy) (Chapters II–III) - Philip AnglimPhilip AnglimPhilip Charles Anglim is an American actor best known for his performance as Joseph Merrick in the stage and television versions of The Elephant Man, a role for which he received a Best Actor nomination in the 1979 Tony Awards...
as Charles AdamsCharles Adams (1770–1800)Charles Adams was the second son of President John Adams and his wife, Abigail Adams. He died of alcoholism in 1800....
(Chapter V) - Tom V. V. Tammi as Thomas AdamsThomas Boylston AdamsThomas Boylston Adams was the third and youngest son of John and Abigail Adams.Adams lived with relatives in Haverhill, Massachusetts during his father’s diplomatic missions in Europe, after Abigail Adams joined him in 1784...
(Chapters V–VI) - Marcel Trenchard as John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
(boy) (Chapter II) - Stephen Austin as John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
(youth) (Chapter II) - Steven Grover as John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
(youth) (Chapter III) - Mark Winkworth as John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
(Chapters IV–V) - David BirneyDavid BirneyDavid Edwin Birney is an American actor/director whose career has performances in both contemporary and classical roles in theatre, film and television. He has three children, a daughter Kate, and twins, Peter and Mollie....
as John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
(Chapter VII only) - William DanielsWilliam DanielsWilliam David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
as John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
(Chapters VIII–X) - Pamela Payton-WrightPamela Payton-Wright-Biography:Payton-Wright was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Eleanor Ruth and Gordon Edgar Payton-Wright. She graduated from the Birmingham-Southern College in 1963. She began her television career in 1972 as Rhonda on Corky...
as Louisa Catherine AdamsLouisa AdamsLouisa Catherine Johnson Adams, born Louisa Catherine Johnson , wife of John Quincy Adams, was First Lady of the United States from 1825 to 1829.-Early life:...
(Chapter VII) - Katherine HoughtonKatharine HoughtonKatharine Houghton is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Joanna "Joey" Drayton, a Caucasian woman who brings home an African-American fiancé to meet her parents, in the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner...
as Abigail Adams II (Chapters IV, VI) - Richard CoxRichard Cox (actor)Richard Cox is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Max Frazier on Ghostwriter. Was nominated for Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Actor for Platinum....
as Col. William Stephens Smith (husband of Abigail Adams II) (Chapter IV) - Maureen AndermanMaureen AndermanMaureen Anderman is an American actress best known for her work on the stage. She has appeared in eighteen Broadway shows over the last four decades earning several Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominations.-Career:...
as Mary Catherine Hellen (wife of John Adams) (Chapters VIII–X) - Steven Krey as Charles Francis AdamsCharles Francis Adams, Sr.Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. He was the grandson of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and the son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams....
(boy) (Chapter VII) - Thomas A. Stewart as Charles Francis AdamsCharles Francis Adams, Sr.Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. He was the grandson of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and the son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams....
(Chapters VIII–X) - John BealJohn Beal (actor)-Life and career:Beal was born James Alexander Bliedung in Joplin, Missouri. He originally went to New York to study art but a chance to understudy in a play made him change his mind. He began acting in the 1930s, opposite Katharine Hepburn , among others; one of his notable screen appearances was...
as Charles Francis AdamsCharles Francis Adams, Sr.Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. He was the grandson of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and the son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams....
(Chapters XI–XIII) - Peter Brandon as Henry AdamsHenry AdamsHenry Brooks Adams was an American journalist, historian, academic and novelist. He is best known for his autobiographical book, The Education of Henry Adams. He was a member of the Adams political family.- Early life :He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Charles Francis Adams Sr...
(Chapters XII–XIII) - Charles SiebertCharles SiebertCharles Siebert is an American actor and television director. As an actor he is best known for his role as Dr. Stanley Riverside II on Trapper John, M.D. which he portrayed from 1979-1986...
as Charles Francis Adams IICharles Francis Adams, Jr.Charles Francis Adams II was a member of the prominent Adams family, and son of Charles Francis Adams, Sr. He served as a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
(Chapters XII–XIII) - Nicholas PryorNicholas PryorNicholas Pryor is an American film and television actor.Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothy and J. Stanley Probst, a pharmaceutical manufacturer....
as John Quincy Adams IIJohn Quincy Adams IIJohn Quincy Adams II was an American lawyer and politician.-Biography:Adams was the son of Charles Francis Adams, the grandson and namesake of president John Quincy Adams and the great-grandson of President John Adams...
(Chapters XII–XIII) - Nancy ColemanNancy ColemanNancy Coleman was an American film, television and radio actress. After working on radio and appearing on the Broadway stage, Nancy Coleman was brought to Hollywood to work for Warner Bros. studios...
as Abigail Brown Brooks Adams (wife of Charles Francis Adams) (chapters XI-XIII)
U.S. politicians
- W. B. Brydon as Samuel AdamsSamuel AdamsSamuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
(cousin of John Adams) (Chapters I–II) - Curt Dawson as John HancockJohn HancockJohn Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
(Chapters I–II) - William Shust as Patrick HenryPatrick HenryPatrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
(Chapter II) - John Wylie as John DickinsonJohn Dickinson (delegate)John Dickinson was an American lawyer and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. He was a militia officer during the American Revolution, a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania and Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of...
(Chapter II) - Robert SymondsRobert SymondsRobert Symonds was an American actor. He was the associate director of the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center from 1965 through 1972.-Career:...
as Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
(Chapters II–III) - Albert Stratton as Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
(Chapters II, IV–VI) - James Congdon as James Lovell (Chapter III)
- James Tripp as Francis DanaFrancis DanaFrancis Dana was an American lawyer, jurist, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1777-1778 and 1784. He signed the Articles of Confederation.-Biography:...
(Chapter III) - David Hooks as George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
(Chapter V) - Jeremiah SullivanJeremiah SullivanJeremiah C. Sullivan was a justice of the Indiana Supreme Court from 1836–1846 and coined the name "Indianapolis" for the new state capital....
as Alexander HamiltonAlexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
(Chapters V–VI) - Michael Egan as General Knox (Chapter V)
- Karl Light as Senator IzardRalph IzardRalph Izard was a U.S. politician. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1794.-Early life:...
(Chapter V) - Ken KerchevalKen KerchevalKen Kercheval is an American actor, best known for his role as Cliff Barnes on the television series Dallas....
as James MadisonJames MadisonJames Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
(Chapters V, VII) - Henry Butler as James MonroeJames MonroeJames Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
(Chapters V, VII–VIII) - Frederic Warringer as Samuel Otis (Chapter V)
- Tom AldredgeTom AldredgeThomas Ernest "Tom" Aldredge was an American television, film and stage actor.-Life and career:Aldredge was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Lucienne Juliet and W. J. Aldredge, a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps...
as James McHenryJames McHenryJames McHenry was an early American statesman. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland and the namesake of Fort McHenry...
(Chapters V–VI) - Reid SheltonReid SheltonReid Shelton was a Broadway and television actor.He appeared in over 31 TV shows from 1974 to 1990; and 9 Broadway shows from 1952 to 1983....
as Timothy PickeringTimothy PickeringTimothy Pickering was a politician from Massachusetts who served in a variety of roles, most notably as the third United States Secretary of State, serving in that office from 1795 to 1800 under Presidents George Washington and John Adams.-Early years:Pickering was born in Salem, Massachusetts to...
(Chapter VI) - David O'Brien as Oliver WolcottOliver Wolcott, Jr.Oliver Wolcott, Jr. was United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1795 to 1800 and the 24th Governor of Connecticut from 1817 to 1827.-Youth and education:...
(Chapter VI) - Josef SommerJosef SommerJosef Sommer is an American film actor.He was born Maximilian Josef Sommer in Greifswald, Germany and was raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemons Sommer, a professor of art history at the University of North Carolina. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology...
as Charles LeeCharles Lee (Attorney General)Charles Lee was an American lawyer from Virginia. He served as United States Attorney General from 1795 until 1801....
(Chapter VI) - John BradenJohn BradenJohn Braden was a writer, producer, and director of motion pictures and television programs, as well as a public advocate against drugs in the movie industry....
as John MarshallJohn MarshallJohn Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
(Chapter VI) - John McQuadeJohn McQuadeJohn McQuade , known as Johnny McQuade, was a Northern Ireland politician. He was a professional boxer under the name of Jack Higgins....
as General PinckneyCharles Cotesworth PinckneyCharles Cotesworth “C. C.” Pinckney , was an early American statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was twice nominated by the Federalist Party as their presidential candidate, but he did not win either election.-Early life and...
(Chapter VI) - Tom McDermott as Eldridge GerryElbridge GerryElbridge Thomas Gerry was an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States , serving under James Madison, until his death a year and a half into his term...
(Chapter VI) - Robert ProskyRobert ProskyRobert Prosky was an American stage, film, and television actor.-Life and career:Prosky, a Polish American, was born Robert Joseph Porzuczek in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Helen and Joseph Porzuczek. His father was a grocer and butcher...
as Benjamin StoddertBenjamin StoddertBenjamin Stoddert was the first United States Secretary of the Navy from May 1, 1798 to March 31, 1801.-Early life:...
(Chapter VI) - Stephen StrimpellStephen StrimpellStephen Strimpell was the star of the cult television classic Mister Terrific....
as AmesFisher AmesFisher Ames was a Representative in the United States Congress from the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts.-Life and political career:...
(Chapter VI) - George HearnGeorge HearnGeorge Hearn is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre.-Early years:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before he embarked on a career in the theater, training for the stage with actress turned acting...
as Henry ClayHenry ClayHenry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
(Chapters VII–X)
- Michael WagerMichael WagerMichael Wager is an American film and television actor.He appeared in the war film, Hill 24 Doesn't Answer, and he appeared in a recurring role, as Jonas Roving, on the soap opera "Ryan's Hope".-Personal life:...
as Albert GallatinAlbert GallatinAbraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin was a Swiss-American ethnologist, linguist, politician, diplomat, congressman, and the longest-serving United States Secretary of the Treasury. In 1831, he founded the University of the City of New York...
(Chapter VII) - Robert Moberly as Senator Bayard (Chapter VII)
- Wesley AddyWesley AddyWesley Addy was an American actor.He played many roles on the Broadway stage, including several Shakespearean ones, usually opposite actor Maurice Evans...
as General Andrew JacksonAndrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
(Chapters VIII–IX) - Robert PhalenRobert PhalenRobert Phalen is an American actor who starred in films and on television.He was born in San Francisco, California, U.S.. He was in the 1978 hit horror movie Halloween as Dr. Terence Wynn. His character returned in the 1995 sequel Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, but the role was taken over...
as John C. CalhounJohn C. CalhounJohn Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
(Chapter VIII–IX) - Roger Alan Brown as Pinckney (Chapter X)
- Stephen D. Newman as Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
(Chapter XI) - Alexander Clark as William SewardWilliam SewardWilliam Seward may refer to:*William Seward, English anecdotist, 1747-1799*William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, 1861-1869*William H. Seward, Jr., his son, banker, Civil War general...
(Chapter XI)
British dignitaries, politicians, others
- John TillingerJohn TillingerJohn Tillinger is a theatre director and actor.Born in Tabriz, Iran, Tillinger was raised in England, where he first was exposed to the theatre...
as King George IIIGeorge III of the United KingdomGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
(Chapters I–IV) - James NobleJames Noble (actor)James Noble is an American actor best known for his portrayal of the slightly daffy Governor Eugene Gatling on the 1980s sitcom Benson. He began his career in soap operas, most notably, The Brighter Day; As the World Turns, The Doctors and A World Apart...
as Jonathan SewallJonathan SewallJonathan Sewall was the last British attorney general of Massachusetts.He was born in Boston on August 24, 1729 to Jonathan and Mary Sewall. Sewall's father was an unsuccessful merchant who died at a young age...
(Chapter I) - Patrick HorganPatrick HorganPatrick Horgan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Glen Rovers and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2008.-Club:...
as Lord HoweEarl HoweEarl Howe is a title that has been created twice in British history, for members of the Howe and Curzon-Howe family respectively.The first creation, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was in 1788 for Richard Howe, but became extinct on his death in 1799....
(Chapter III) - Ed Zang as English Tailor (Chapter IV)
- Don McHenry as Sir Clement Cotterell Dormer (Chapter IV)
- Jack GwillimJack GwillimJack William Frederick Gwillim was a prolific English character actor.-Career:Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, he served in the Royal Navy for over twenty years, attaining the rank of Commander...
as Lord CarmarthenFrancis Osborne, 5th Duke of LeedsFrancis Godolphin Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds KG, PC , styled Marquess of Carmarthen until 1789, was a British politician...
(Chapter IV) - Robert GerringerRobert GerringerRobert Gerringer was an American character actor perhaps best known as Dr. Dave Woodard #2 on the soap opera cum cult TV series Dark Shadows, a role he played during 1967...
as BurrillBurrillBurrill is a small village in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is in the parish of Burrill with Cowling and 1 mile west of Bedale....
(Chapter IV) - Thomas BarbourThomas BarbourThomas Barbour was an American herpetologist. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
as Bishop of St. AsaphJonathan ShipleyJonathan Shipley was the son of a London stationer; his mother's family were owners of Twyford House, a large manor in Winchester, England. He was ordained a minister in the Church of England and became both Bishop of Llandaff and Bishop of St Asaph.Jonathan grew up at Walbrook in the City of...
(Chapter IV) - William Roerick as Lord GambierJames Gambier, 1st Baron GambierAdmiral of the Fleet James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier GCB was an admiral of the Royal Navy, who served as Governor of Newfoundland, and as a Lord of the Admiralty, but who gained notoriety for his actions at the Battle of the Basque Roads.-Early career:Gambier was born in New Providence, The...
(Chapter VII) - George Pentecost as Henry GoulburnHenry GoulburnHenry Goulburn PC FRS was an English Conservative statesman and a member of the Peelite faction after 1846.-Background and education:...
(Chapter VII) - Emery Battis as Lord John RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
(Chapter XI)
Foreign dignitaries, politicians, others
- M'el DowdM'el DowdM'el Dowd or Mel Dowd is an American stage, musical theatre and film actress whose career has spanned over 50 years. Beginning in Shakespeare roles and films in the 1950s, Dowd continued to perform on stage, film and television into the 21st century...
as Madame BrillonAnne Louise Boyvin d'Hardancourt Brillon de JouyAnne Louise Brillon de Jouy was a French musician and composer.-Life:...
(Chapter III) - Guy Sorel as Comte de Vergennes (Chapter III)
- Taina ElgTaina ElgTaina Elg is a Finnish-American actress and dancer. She has appeared on stage, film and television.-Biography:She was born in Helsinki, but later raised in Turku by her parents, Helena Dobroumova and Åke Elg, a pianist. In 1957 she won the Golden Globe for the Foreign Newcomer Award - Female...
as Comtesse de Vergennes (Chapter III) - C. K. AlexanderC. K. AlexanderC. K. Alexander was an Egyptian actor, director, composer, and playwright. He was born as Charles Khalil Saad in Cairo, Egypt, on May 4, 1923. Saad attended Cairo University from 1938 to 1939 and the American University in Cairo from 1940 to 1941...
as The Dutch Banker (Chapter III) - Cavada Humphrey as Princess of Orange (Chapter III)
- Lance Davis as Louis XVILouis XVI of FranceLouis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
(Chapter III) - Louis TurenneLouis TurenneLouis Turenne is a Canadian movie and television actor whose career has spanned over 20 years.Turenne is of French Canadian descent, having been born in Montreal, Quebec. Most recently, Turenne was known for his work on the Babylon 5 television series. Turenne played the Minbari Draal in the first...
as M. Hauteval (Chapter VI) - Christopher LloydChristopher LloydChristopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
as Tsar Alexandre IAlexander I of RussiaAlexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
(Chapter VII)
- Paul Sparer as Chancellor Rumyantsev (Chapter VII)
- Michael Kane as General Caulaincourt (Chapter VII)
- Valerie FrenchValerie French (actress)Valerie French was a British film actress and later stage actress beginning in the 1950s.-Career:Born Valerie Harrison in London, England, French entered into film acting in her early 20s, with her first film appearance being in the 1954 film Maddalena...
as Countess Rostov (Chapter VII)
- Osvaldo Riofrancos as Don Luis de OnisLuís de OnísLuis de Onís y Gonzalez-Vara was a Spanish diplomat. Born in Cantalapiedra, Salamanca and educated at the University of Salamanca, he served as the Spanish minister to the United States from 1809 to 1819...
(Chapter VIII) - Jean-Pierre Stewart as Alexis de TocquevilleAlexis de TocquevilleAlexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville was a French political thinker and historian best known for his Democracy in America and The Old Regime and the Revolution . In both of these works, he explored the effects of the rising equality of social conditions on the individual and the state in...
(Chapter X) - Norman Bush as CinqueJoseph CinquéSengbe Pieh , later known as Joseph Cinqué, was a West African man of the Mende people and was the most prominent defendant in the Amistad case, in which it was found that he and 51 others had been victims of the illegal Atlantic slave trade.-Biography:Cinqué was born c...
(Chapter X)
Other Americans
- John HousemanJohn HousemanJohn Houseman was a Romanian-born British-American actor and film producer who became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director Orson Welles from their days in the Federal Theatre Project through to the production of Citizen Kane...
as Justice Gridley (Chapter I) - Reno Roop as Josiah QuincyJosiah Quincy IIJosiah Quincy, Jr., was an American lawyer and patriot. He was a principal spokesman for the Sons of Liberty in Boston prior to the Revolution and was John Adams' co-counsel during the trials of Captain Thomas Preston and the soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.-Family:Quincy was father of...
(cousin of John Adams) (Chapter II) - Alfred Hinckley as Capt. Hay (Chapter IV)
- Robin Pearson Rose as Polly Jefferson (Chapter V)
- Donald C. Moore as SparhawkSparhawk's Regiment of MilitiaSparhawk's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 7th Worchester County Militia Regiment. The Regiment took its name from its commander, Col. Nathan Sparhawk. The regiment spent the winter of 1776-1777 with Gen. George Washington's main army at Morristown, New Jersey...
(Chapter IV) - Edwin Owens as Russell Jarvis (Chapter IX)
- Jerome Dempsey as Lewis TappanLewis TappanLewis Tappan was a New York abolitionist who worked to achieve the freedom of the illegally enslaved Africans of the Amistad. Contacted by Connecticut abolitionists soon after the Amistad arrived in port, Tappan focused extensively on the captive Africans...
(Chapter X) - Tom HulceTom HulceThomas Edward "Tom" Hulce is an American actor and theater producer. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Mozart in the movie Amadeus and his role as "Pinto" in National Lampoon's Animal House. Additional acting awards included a total of four Golden Globe...
as Student (Chapter X) - Bernie McInerneyBernie McInerney-Biography:He grew up in Delaware where his father was an auditor with the DuPont Company. McInerney came to acting at a young age, announcing the World Series defeat of the 1946 Boston Red Sox from his bicycle seat as he rode through his neighborhood...
as Roger Sherman BaldwinRoger Sherman BaldwinRoger Sherman Baldwin was an American lawyer involved in the Amistad case, who later became the 17th Governor of Connecticut and a United States Senator.-Early life:...
(Chapter X) - Ronald Dawson as Chief Justice Taney (Chapter X)
- John Ramsey as Henry JamesHenry JamesHenry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
(Chapter XII) - Paul HechtPaul HechtPaul Hecht is an English-born Canadian stage, film, and television actor best known for playing radio newsman Ross Buckingham in Howard Stern's Private Parts....
as Jay GouldJay GouldJason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
(Chapter XIII) - James BroderickJames BroderickJames Joseph Broderick III was an American actor.-Life and career:Broderick was born in Charlestown, New Hampshire, the son of Mary Elizabeth and James Joseph Broderick, Jr....
as W. H. Holcomb (Chapter XIII)
- Barton Heyman as Capt. Beckford (Chapter VII)
- John Horn as Lt. Mountgarret (Chapter VII)
- Susan Bjurman
Soundtrack
- "The Liberty SongThe Liberty Song"The Liberty Song" is an American Revolutionary War song composed by patriot John Dickinson, the author of Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. The song is set to the tunes of "Heart of Oak", the anthem of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom and "Here's a Health", an Irish song of emigration...
" (Chapter II) - "Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young CharmsBelieve Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms"Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms" is a popular folk song of early 19th century Ireland and America. Irish poet Thomas Moore wrote the words to a traditional Irish air in 1808. His lyrics are as follows:**...
" (Chapter VIII)
Awards received
The Adams Chronicles won a number of Emmy Awards for television excellence. These included:Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama or Comedy Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Alvin Colt
Alvin Colt
Alvin Colt was an American costume designer. Colt worked on over 50 Broadway shows.His first job was in a theatrical fabric house, he also worked on painting scenery during the summer. On the Town was the first Broadway show he worked on in 1944...
, Costume Designer
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – William C. Knight, Lighting Director; George Riesenberger, Lighting Director
Outstanding Achievement in Tape Sound Mixing – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Emil Neroda, Sound Mixer
Outstanding Art Direction or Scenic Design for a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Ed Wittstein, Production Designer
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Fred Coe
Fred Coe
Fred Coe , nicknamed Pappy, was a television producer and director most famous for The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse in 1948-1955 and Playhouse 90 from 1957 to 1959...
, Director
Outstanding Limited Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – James Cellan-Jones, Producer; Fred Coe
Fred Coe
Fred Coe , nicknamed Pappy, was a television producer and director most famous for The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse in 1948-1955 and Playhouse 90 from 1957 to 1959...
, Producer; Robert Costello, Coordinating Producer; Virginia Kassel, Series Producer; Jac Venza
Jac Venza
Jac Venza is a public television producer who is directly responsible for most of the theatre and music programs that have been seen on PBS since its creation in 1970...
, Executive Producer
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Tad Mosel
Tad Mosel
Tad Mosel was an American playwright and one of the leading dramatists of hour-long teleplay genre for live television during the 1950s. He received the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play All the Way Home....
, Writer
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Roger O. Hirson
Roger O. Hirson
Roger O. Hirson is an American dramatist and screenwriter best known for his books of the Broadway musicals, Pippin, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, and Walking Happy...
, Writer
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Ed Wittstein, Art Director
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Alvin Colt
Alvin Colt
Alvin Colt was an American costume designer. Colt worked on over 50 Broadway shows.His first job was in a theatrical fabric house, he also worked on painting scenery during the summer. On the Town was the first Broadway show he worked on in 1944...
, Costume Designer
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Girish Bhargava, Graphic Design; Bill Mandel, Graphic Design
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Billy Knight
Billy Knight
William R. "Billy" Knight is an American former professional basketball player who most recently served as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks from 2003–08.Knight grew up in Braddock, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where he...
, Lighting Director; Dick Weiss, Lighting Director
Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Leonard Chumbley, Technical Director; Walter Edel, Cameraman; John Feher, Cameraman; Steve Zink, Cameraman
Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing for a Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Girish Bhargava, Editor; Manford Schorn, Editor
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – George Grizzard
George Grizzard
George Cooper Grizzard, Jr. was an American actor of film and stage. He appeared in more than 40 films, dozens of television programs and a number of Broadway plays.-Life and career:...
Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Performance – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Kathryn Walker
Kathryn Walker
Kathryn Walker is an American theater, television and film actress. She was with Douglas Kenney for many years until his death in 1980 at the age of 32, and was married to singer James Taylor from 1985 to 1995...
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Pamela Payton-Wright
Pamela Payton-Wright
-Biography:Payton-Wright was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Eleanor Ruth and Gordon Edgar Payton-Wright. She graduated from the Birmingham-Southern College in 1963. She began her television career in 1972 as Rhonda on Corky...
Outstanding Limited Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Paul Bogart
Paul Bogart
Paul Bogart is an American television and film director. He directed episodes of the television series "Coronet Blue" in 1967 Get Smart and All In The Family from 1976 to 1979...
, Producer; Fred Coe
Fred Coe
Fred Coe , nicknamed Pappy, was a television producer and director most famous for The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse in 1948-1955 and Playhouse 90 from 1957 to 1959...
, Producer; Robert Costello, Producer; James Cellan Jones, Producer; Virginia Kassel, Series Producer; Jac Venza
Jac Venza
Jac Venza is a public television producer who is directly responsible for most of the theatre and music programs that have been seen on PBS since its creation in 1970...
, Executive Producer
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen is a playwright and screenwriter.- Biography :Sherman Yellen was born in 1932 to Nathan and Lillian Yellen. He attended the High School of Music & Art in Harlem and graduated from Bard College on the Hudson in 1953 where he met his future wife, Joan Fuhr...
, Writer
Pronunciation note
The series uses the historically correct pronunciation /ˈkwɪnzi/ for Quincy, rather than the more common /ˈkwɪnsi/. (See relevant discussion here.)DVD release
The Adams Chronicles series was released on DVD by Acorn MediaAcorn Media UK
Acorn Media UK is a DVD publisher which distributes and sells home video products with a particular focus on British television.- Company history :The company was founded in 1997 when Lesley Fromant set up a branch of parent company Acorn Media in the UK....
on May 13, 2008.