Robert Middlekauff

The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series 19, 1 October 1775–31 March 1796 ed. by David R. Hoth (review)

versal education; Adams wrote that “[t]he Education of a Nation, instead of being confined to a few schools & Universities, for the instruction of the few, must become the National Care and expence, for the information of the many” (218). Another similarity involves Adams’s discussion of taxes in Europe. In a November 30, 1786, letter to John Jay, Adams suggested that Americans could benefit by comparing taxes in various countries: “It is a Pity that every American could not be transported to Europe for a few Weeks, to take a View of the Taxes paid in France[,] Spain[,] Holland, and England; and see how the People live. It would soon reconcile them to their situation, and make them ashamed to have ever uttered a Complaint” (513). This comparative perspective, learning from what works in other countries, is startlingly similar to a suggestion made by Smith. Despite animosity between Britain and France, Smith advocated adopting successful French agricultural techniques, arguing that the national source of a technique was irrelevant; what was important was the efficacy of the technique. Adams and Smith agreed on many aspects of taxation but the principle here is not about taxes or about agricultural techniques; the principle here is that both argued for learning from best practices in other countries. One of the last documents in this volume is Adams’s letter of resignation as ambassador to Britain and the Netherlands. But the slow communication of that era meant that he still had more than a year of service as ambassador. Thus, volume 19 of this fine series will offer scholars more insight into foreign relations, before the series turns to Adams’s twelve years of service as vice president and president.