Chapter 12 Summary and Analysis

The letters of chapter twelve range from August 1816 to December 1819. During this period, Jefferson and Mrs. Adams's correspondence resumed in 1816, when she added a postscript to one of her husband's letters. But Mrs. Adams died of typhoid fever in late 1818, leaving Adams very lonely.

Adams and Jefferson were aware of the post-war world after 1815, following the news of depression and the social problems in England. Adams hoped to establish mutually beneficial relations with Britain, though Jefferson was still skeptical. They were also worried about the Missouri Compromise of 1820, seeing a future conflict concerning slavery.

The new South American republics also merited attention. They believed that the revolutions in Latin American made their independence secure, though they thought that the Catholic Church's dominance in those areas threatened ignorance and superstition rather than free government.

Jefferson was also a major fan of educational...