adams
adams — biographical name
1. Ansel Easton Adams (1902–1984), an American photographer best known for his stri
Ansel Easton Adams (1902–1984), an American photographer best known for his striking black-and-white pictures of natural landscapes, especially Yosemite and other parks in the western United States.
Hiroshi printed a copy of Ansel Adams's photograph of Half Dome and hung it above his desk.
possessive: Ansel Adams's [work]
The museum opened a new exhibit on Ansel Adams to mark fifty years of his Yosemite work.
Photography students at the workshop studied how Ansel Adams used light and shadow on mountain rock.
Mei-Ling bought a thick book of Ansel Adams prints for her brother's birthday.
- Ansel Adams photograph
- Ansel Adams print
- Ansel Adams exhibit
Usage Note
Refers to a specific person; usually appears with first name 'Ansel' to distinguish from other people named Adams.
2. Charles Francis Adams (1807–1886), an American writer and diplomat. He was the s
Charles Francis Adams (1807–1886), an American writer and diplomat. He was the son of President John Quincy Adams and served as the United States ambassador to Britain during the American Civil War.
During the Civil War, Charles Francis Adams worked in London to keep Britain from supporting the Southern states.
historical context: U.S. Civil War diplomacy
Professor Okafor asked the class to read letters written by Charles Francis Adams during his time in London.
Charles Francis Adams came from a famous political family; both his father and grandfather had been presidents.
The library keeps several diaries that Charles Francis Adams wrote while he served abroad.
- Charles Francis Adams's diary
- Charles Francis Adams's letters
Usage Note
Always cite full name 'Charles Francis Adams' in writing; the Adams family had several members with overlapping first names.
3. Franklin Pierce Adams (1881–1960), an American journalist and humorist who signe
Franklin Pierce Adams (1881–1960), an American journalist and humorist who signed his work with the initials F.P.A. He wrote a popular daily newspaper column and was also a regular guest on a long-running radio quiz show.
In the 1920s, Aarav's grandfather read F.P.A.'s newspaper column over breakfast almost every morning.
abbreviation as signature: F.P.A.
F.P.A. could turn a dull political story into a short joke that made readers laugh out loud.
The radio show often invited F.P.A. to answer hard general-knowledge questions on air.
Many young writers in New York looked up to F.P.A. and tried to copy his light, witty style.
- F.P.A.'s column
- F.P.A.'s readers
Usage Note
F.P.A. is an initialism used as a pen name; spell out 'Franklin Pierce Adams' on first mention in formal writing.
4. Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918), an American historian and writer. He is most fam
Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918), an American historian and writer. He is most famous for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams, which won the Pulitzer Prize after his death.
Sofía read The Education of Henry Adams in a first-year course on American history.
title context: 'The Education of Henry Adams'
Henry Adams felt that the modern world was changing too quickly for older ideas to keep up.
The seminar discussed how Henry Adams described his own schooling in Boston during the nineteenth century.
Henry Adams was the grandson of one U.S. president and the great-grandson of another.
- Henry Adams's memoir
- Henry Adams's history
Usage Note
Distinguish from his father Charles Francis Adams (sense 2) and his ancestor President John Adams (sense 5); first name 'Henry' is the key cue.
5. John Adams (1735–1826), an American lawyer and diplomat who became the second pr
John Adams (1735–1826), an American lawyer and diplomat who became the second president of the United States, serving from 1797 to 1801. He helped lead the country to independence from Britain.
John Adams signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 alongside Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
historical event: Declaration of Independence (1776)
Mr. Tanaka's class wrote reports on why John Adams refused to start another war with France.
John Adams lost the 1800 election to Thomas Jefferson and went home to his farm in Massachusetts.
Letters between John Adams and his wife Abigail are still printed in school history books today.
- President John Adams
- John Adams's letters
Usage Note
Refers specifically to the second U.S. president; do not confuse with his son John Quincy Adams (sense 7) or the modern composer (sense 6).
Common Mistakes
6. John Coolidge Adams (born 1947), an American composer of classical music, known
John Coolidge Adams (born 1947), an American composer of classical music, known for operas such as Nixon in China and for orchestra pieces that mix repeating patterns with rich, modern sounds.
The opera house staged Nixon in China, the most famous work by John Adams the composer.
title context: 'Nixon in China' opera
Chiamaka attended a concert in Berlin where the orchestra played a new symphony by John Adams.
Music students often study how John Adams builds long pieces from short, repeating melodies.
John Adams won a Pulitzer Prize for a piece written in memory of the September 11 attacks.
- composer John Adams
- John Adams's opera
- John Adams's symphony
Usage Note
Often called 'John Adams the composer' to avoid confusion with the 18th-century president (sense 5); his middle name Coolidge helps in formal writing.
7. John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), the eldest child of the second U.S. president, wh
John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), the eldest child of the second U.S. president, who served as a diplomat and secretary of state before becoming the sixth president of the United States, holding office from 1825 to 1829.
John Quincy Adams negotiated the Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812 with Britain.
biographical fact: diplomatic achievement
After losing the 1828 election to Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams returned to Congress as a representative from Massachusetts.
post-presidency career
The students learned that John Quincy Adams was the first president whose father had also held the office.
John Quincy Adams spent his later years fighting against slavery in the House of Representatives.
abolitionist legacy
- sixth president
- son of John Adams
- Treaty of Ghent
Usage Note
Always referred to with the middle name 'Quincy' to distinguish him from his father, the second president John Adams.
Common Mistakes
8. Maude Adams (1872-1953), born Maude Kiskadden, an American stage actress widely
Maude Adams (1872-1953), born Maude Kiskadden, an American stage actress widely admired in the early 1900s, especially for playing the title role in the original Broadway production of Peter Pan.
Maude Adams became the highest-paid stage actress in America after her famous performance as Peter Pan.
biographical fact: career milestone
Theatre lovers in 1905 packed the Empire Theatre in New York to watch Maude Adams fly across the stage.
Maude Adams was born Maude Kiskadden in Salt Lake City and took her mother's maiden name for the stage.
stage name origin
After leaving the theatre, Maude Adams taught drama at Stephens College in Missouri for many years.
- American actress
- stage name
- Peter Pan role
Usage Note
The original birth name 'Kiskadden' is typically mentioned only in biographical contexts; she is known almost exclusively by her stage name.
9. Samuel Adams (1722-1803), an American political leader from Boston who helped or
Samuel Adams (1722-1803), an American political leader from Boston who helped organize resistance to British rule and was one of the founding figures who pushed the American colonies toward independence.
Samuel Adams helped plan the Boston Tea Party in 1773 to protest British taxes on the American colonies.
biographical fact: revolutionary action
As a cousin of John Adams, Samuel Adams signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776.
family connection and political role
The history teacher explained that Samuel Adams ran a struggling brewery while leading protests against the British crown.
A popular American beer brand still bears the name of Samuel Adams as a tribute to the patriot from Boston.
cultural legacy
- Boston Tea Party
- American Revolution
- founding father
Usage Note
Distinct from his cousin John Adams (sense 5); Samuel Adams was a political organizer rather than a president.
Common Mistakes
10. Samuel Hopkins Adams (1871-1958), an American writer and journalist known for no
Samuel Hopkins Adams (1871-1958), an American writer and journalist known for novels and for investigative articles that exposed dishonest practices in the patent medicine industry of the early 1900s.
Samuel Hopkins Adams wrote a famous series of articles exposing the dangers of patent medicines in 1905.
biographical fact: investigative journalism
The 1934 film 'It Happened One Night' was based on a short story by Samuel Hopkins Adams.
literary adaptation
Samuel Hopkins Adams attended Hamilton College in New York before starting his long career as a writer.
The reporting by Samuel Hopkins Adams helped Congress pass the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
policy impact
- American author
- investigative journalist
- patent medicine
Usage Note
Always include the middle name 'Hopkins' to distinguish him from Samuel Adams the Revolutionary patriot (sense 9).
Common Mistakes
Etymology
Adams is an English surname meaning 'son of Adam' — formed by adding the possessive 's' to the personal name Adam. The name Adam itself comes from the Hebrew word 'adam', meaning 'man' or 'human being', which entered English through Latin and Old French during the early Middle Ages. The surname became common in England by the 13th century and was carried widely to North America, where several prominent American families have made it well known.