Charles Francis Adams

author

Charles Francis Adams

1835–1915

A Civil War officer, railroad reformer, and sharp public voice, this member of the Adams family moved easily between military service, politics, and historical writing. His life offers a vivid window into power, industry, and public debate in nineteenth-century America.

5 Audiobooks

"Imperialism" and "The Tracks of Our Forefathers"

"Imperialism" and "The Tracks of Our Forefathers"

by Charles Francis Adams

"'Tis Sixty Years Since"

"'Tis Sixty Years Since"

by Charles Francis Adams

Wessagusset and Weymouth

Wessagusset and Weymouth

by Charles Francis Adams, Charles Francis Adams, Gilbert Nash

Some Phases of Sexual Morality and Church Discipline in Colonial New England

Some Phases of Sexual Morality and Church Discipline in Colonial New England

by Charles Francis Adams

Notes on Railroad Accidents

Notes on Railroad Accidents

by Charles Francis Adams

About the author

Born in Boston in 1835, he was the son of Charles Francis Adams Sr. and the grandson of President John Quincy Adams. After graduating from Harvard in 1856, he served in the Union Army during the Civil War and was breveted brigadier general by the war's end.

After the war, he became deeply involved in railroad policy and business. He served on the Massachusetts Railroad Commission, where he argued for stronger oversight and clearer public accountability, and later led the Union Pacific Railroad as president.

He also wrote widely on American history, public affairs, and military subjects. Remembered as part of one of the country's most famous political families, he built a career of his own as a soldier, reform-minded public figure, and author before his death in 1915.