Critics of Adams' public life occasionally buzzed around Adams like insects, but he was largely insensible to them. Life in retirement was happy. To keep up with current events he read everything he could lay his hands on, and Abigail kept pace with him. They watched the course of John Quincy's career. In 1814, he was ordered to Belgium, to take part in peace negotiations to end the War of 1812, reprising his father's role in 1782. Events were moving fast, as Napoleon was defeated and exiled to Elba Island. The French monarchy was restored, and British invaders burned the U.S. Capitol and President's House. With the U.S. Navy driven from the seas and the Treasury empty, the future looked grim. New Englanders were talking of seceding from the union when.....
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