Presidents’ Papers
Below is a list of published papers of the earliest presidents of the United States. They are arranged chronologically starting with George Washington. Some of these presidents have received significant scholarly attention, indicated by the amount of projects devoted to publishing their correspondence, speeches, and other papers. However, some have not been as popular and the availability of their personal papers in print form has been limited. Some of the earlier publications are out of copyright and may be available online through Google Books, HathiTrust, or the Internet Archive. The papers of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison are available online through Founders Online. Consult our Finding Published Sources page for more help locating these volumes.
George Washington
There is no shortage of interest in the writings of George Washington. His leadership during the American Revolution and his election as the United States’ first president has warranted several published collections of his papers. Below are some of the more cited editions.
The Diaries of George Washington, eds. Dorothy Twohig, et. al., 6 vols. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976 - 1979)
George Washington’s Barbados Diary, 1751 - 1752, eds. Alicia K. Anderson, et. al. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2018)
George Washington’s Diaries: An Abridgment, ed. Dorothy Twohig (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1999)
The Papers of George Washington, 1744 - 1799, eds. Dorothy Twohig, et. al., 33 vols. (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1983 - 1998)
Washington: Writings, ed. John Rhodehamel (New York: The Library of America, 1997)
The Writings of George Washington, ed. Worthington C. Ford, 14 vols. (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1889-1893)
The Writings of Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745 - 1799, ed. John Clement Fitzpatrick, 39 vols. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1931 - 1944)
John Adams
Various publications capture the writings and correspondence of John Adams. Below are some of the more prominent collections of his papers. Harvard University’s The Adams Papers Project is still currently editing and publishing the papers of Adams and his family.
The Adams - Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams, ed. Lester J. Cappon (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1959)
The Adams Papers: Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, eds. L. H. Butterfield, 4 vols. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961)
The Adams Papers: Legal Papers of John Adams, eds. L. Kinvin Wroth, et. al. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1965)
The Adams Papers: Papers of John Adams, eds. L. H. Butterfield, et. al., 20 vols. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 - )
My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams, eds. Margaret A. Hogan, et. al. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010)
The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, ed. Charles Francis Adams, 10 vols. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1850-1856)
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson’s papers are voluminous and the published editions of them reflect that. Below are some of the more popular editions chronicling his writings and correspondence. Princeton University Press is still editing The Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
The Adams - Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams, ed. Lester J. Cappon (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1959)
The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, eds. Julian Boyd, et. al., 45 vols. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1959 - )
The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, eds. J. Jefferson Looney, et. al., 17 vols. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998 - )
The Republic of Letters: The Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, ed. James Morton Smith, 3 vols. (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1995)
Thomas Jefferson: Writings, ed. Merrill D. Peterson (New York: Library of America, 1984)
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Paul Leceister Ford, 10 vols. (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1892 - 1899)
James Madison
James Madison was a prolific writer and the published editions of his writings reflect that. Several collections of his papers are listed below. Much of his personal papers have been lost or destroyed, but Madison carefully kept those of a public nature. The University of Virginia’s The Papers of James Madison are still being edited.
James Madison: Writings, ed. Jack Rakove (New York: Library of America, 1999)
Letters and Other Writings of James Madison, 4 vols. (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1865)
The Papers of James Madison, eds. William T. Hutchinson, et. al., 10 vols. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962 - 1977); 32 vols. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1977 - )
The Republic of Letters: The Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, ed. James Morton Smith, 3 vols. (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1995)
The Writings of James Madison, ed. Gaillard Hunt, 9 vols. (New York: Putnam’s Sons, 1900 - 1910)
James Monroe
James Monroe has not received the attention of either his predecessors or successors. He is one of the few early presidents not to have a major editing project covering the entirety of his papers. Still, there are a few published collections of his writings and correspondence. Some of his correspondence while governor of Virginia can be found in volumes 9 and 10 of the Calendar of Virginia State Papers.
The Autobiography of James Monroe, ed. Stuart Gerry Brown (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1959)
Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts, eds. William P. Palmer, et. al., 11 vols. (Richmond: James E. Goode, 1875 - 1893)
The Papers of James Monroe, ed. Daniel Preston, 7 vols. (Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2006 - )
The Writings of James Monroe, ed. Stanislaus Murray Hamilton, 7 vols. (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1898 - 1903)
John Quincy Adams
An accomplished statesman and prolific diarist, there is no shortage of writings from John Quincy Adams. Below are several edited collections of his papers. Harvard University Press is still editing volumes for The Adams Papers Project, including those of John Quincy.
Adams Family Correspondence, eds. L. H. Butterfield, et. al., 15 vols. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1963 - )
The Diaries of John Quincy Adams, 1779 - 1821, ed. David Waldstreicher (New York: Library of America, 2017)
The Diaries of John Quincy Adams, 1821 - 1848, ed. David Waldstreicher (New York: Library of America, 2017)
Writings of John Quincy Adams, Worthington C. Ford, 7 vols. (New York: Macmillan Company, 1913 - 1914)
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson had a long and accomplished career as a military officer and statesman, culminating in his election to the presidency in 1828. There have been two attempts to compile and publish his papers, including a current project at the University of Tennessee.
The Correspondence of Andrew Jackson, eds. John Spencer Bassett and J. Franklin Jameson, 7 vols. (Washington: Carnegie Institute of Washington, 1926 - 1935)
The Papers of Andrew Jackson, eds. Sam B. Smith, Harriet Chappell Owsley, et. al., 11 vols. (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1980 - )
Abraham Lincoln
Unlike his immediate predecessors and successors, Abraham Lincoln stands as one of the most accomplished, challenged, and popular presidents in American history. Besides the printed collections listed below, much of his papers are available through the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library.
This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln, ed. William E. Gienapp (New York, 2002)
The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, ed. Roy P. Basler, et al., 11 vols. (New Brunswick and Westport, 1959-1990)
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates: The First Complete, Unexpurgated Text, ed. Harold Holzer (New York, 1993)
The Papers of Abraham Lincoln: Legal Documents and Cases, ed. Daniel W. Stowell (Charlottesville, 2008)
To Address You as My Friend: African Americans’ Letters to Abraham Lincoln, ed. Jonathan W. White (Chapel Hill, 2021)