Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 8

To the President of the Congress, No. 3, 16 January 1780 JA President of Congress Huntington, Samuel To the President of the Congress, No. 3, 16 January 1780 Adams, John President of Congress Huntington, Samuel
To the President of the Congress, No. 3

Bilbao, Spain, 16 January 1780. RC in John Thaxter's hand PCC No. 84, I, f. 234; docketed: “No. 3 Letter from John Adams Bilbao 311Jany 16 1780 Read April 7.” LbC Adams Papers. LbC in Thaxter's hand Adams Papers; notations: “Recd in Congress Oct. 15. Triplicate.”; by Thaxter: “No.3.” For a discussion of the presence of two Letterbook copies, see part 2 of the Introduction: “John Adams and his Letterbooks” (above).

Adams described the hardships of his journey through Spain and the reasons for his decision to bypass Madrid. He then wrote at length about the civil and military institutions of the Province of Galicia and the potential for trade with the United States if obstacles could be removed. He also commented on the special privileges of the three Basque provinces (although he did not call them that), and on the trade with other countries that they enjoyed, suggesting what markets America might find there if successful negotiations could be entered into.

RC in John Thaxter's hand (PCC No. 84, I, f. 234); docketed: “No. 3 Letter from John Adams Bilbao Jany 16 1780 Read April 7.” LbC (Adams Papers). LbC in Thaxter's hand (Adams Papers); notations: “Recd in Congress Oct. 15. Triplicate.”; by Thaxter: “No.3.” For a discussion of the presence of two Letterbook copies, see part 2 of the Introduction: “John Adams and his Letterbooks” (above). printed : (JA, Diary and Autobiography , 4:230).

To Joseph Gardoqui & Sons, 20 January 1780 JA Gardoqui, Joseph, & Sons (business) To Joseph Gardoqui & Sons, 20 January 1780 Adams, John Gardoqui, Joseph, & Sons (business)
To Joseph Gardoqui & Sons
Gentlemen Bilbao, ante 20 January 1780 1

If you will be so good as to send to America, on Board of Either each of the Vessells now here2 to the Amount of Twenty Pounds sterling in Articles for the Use of my Family, and consign them to my Adress, and to the Care of Isaac Smith Esq of Boston, I will pay your Bills, with Pleasure and hold myself obliged besides. The Articles I wish to have sent are, become very scarce in America

one Piece of common Linnen a few Dozens of Glass Tumblers half a dozen plain Glass Decanters. a few Dozens of Silk Handkerchiefs two Dozens of common Table Knives and Forks. Half a Dozen large and fine Blanketts. half a Dozen Pounds of Green Tea. 3

LbC (Adams Papers).

1.

JA left Bilbao on the 20th (JA, Diary and Autobiography , 2:433).

 2.

These were the Phoenix, James Babson, and the Rambler, Benjamin Lovett, which were owned by the Traceys of Newburyport and Andrew Cabot of Beverly, respectively (JQA, Diary , 1:30).

 3.

The Letterbook copy was wholly canceled by a series of large X's, presumably because of either JA's initial decision not to send any goods to America from Bilbao (see JA to AA, 16 Jan., Adams Family Correspondence, 3:258–259), or his personal presentation of his order to Gardoqui & Sons. JA did give the Gardoquis an order that was nearly identical to this one, which they shipped on board the Phoenix in February (see Gardoqui & Sons to JA, 19 Feb., below). Sending such merchandise was a convenient way for JA to get money into AA's hands, for she could sell the items she did not need at a good profit (AA to JA, 15 April, Adams Family Correspondence , 3:320–323).

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