# Free Fight (1869–1870) explained — The Education of Henry Adams > Chapter companion for The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams. ## What happens Adams reflects on the moral and political decay of the Grant administration, his own disillusionment with Washington politics, and the collapse of the 1789 system. He describes his work on a critical article about legal tender, his growing opposition to the administration, and the personal and political battles among his friends. The chapter also captures his love for Washington's natural beauty and his contempt for Boston, culminating in the shocking attempt by Jay Gould to corner the gold market in September 1869. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Failure of Leadership Adams critiques Grant's administration as a symbol of moral and systemic breakdown, where political leaders fail to uphold decency or effective governance. ### Social Class and Identity Adams contrasts the refined, moralistic New England elite with the pragmatic, corrupt Washington scene, and reflects on his own place as a young man from a distinguished family. ### Power and Force The chapter explores how raw power (Gould's gold corner, political infighting) overwhelms moral principles, and how society follows the strong while sacrificing the weak. ## Character check-ins ### Henry Adams Narrator and central figure; reflects on his political education, writes critical articles, and observes the Grant administration's failures. ### Ulysses S. Grant President whose administration is described as outraging decency and marking the breakdown of the political system. ### Charles Sumner One of Adams's powerful friends; becomes a victim of Grant's lax rule and quarrels with the Executive. ### Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar Attorney General who is implacable toward Adams and later driven from office by Senate quarrels. ### Salmon P. Chase Chief Justice; Adams defends him in an article about legal tender, and Chase shares his recollections. ### Jay Gould Financier who attempts to corner the gold market in September 1869, believing he had assurances from the government. ### John Hay Implied as a friend and fellow observer of the political scene, though not directly named in excerpts. ### Clarence King Friend who later amuses Adams with humorous reflections on nature's mistakes. ## Key lines > The moral law had expired⁠—like the Constitution. Adams asserts that both moral standards and the constitutional framework have collapsed under Grant. _Reflects the theme of systemic failure and the end of old principles._ > Grant’s administration outraged every rule of ordinary decency, but scores of promising men, whom the country could not well spare, were ruined in saying so. The Grant administration was blatantly indecent, yet those who criticized it were destroyed. _Highlights the cost of opposition and the moral dilemma of the era._ > The political dilemma was as clear in 1870 as it was likely to be in 1970. The system of 1789 had broken down, and with it the eighteenth-century fabric of a priori , or moral, principles. The political crisis of 1870 was timeless: the old system of moral absolutes had failed. _Adams sees the breakdown as a permanent condition of modern politics._ > Society paid them to be practical. Whenever society cared to pay Adams, he too would be practical, take his pay, and hold his tongue; but meanwhile he was driven to associate with Democratic Congressmen and educate them. Society rewards pragmatism, and Adams would comply if paid, but for now he works with Democrats to teach them. _Shows Adams's ironic detachment and his role as an informal educator in politics._ > The mystery that shrouded the famous, classical attempt of Jay Gould to corner gold in September, 1869, has never been cleared up⁠—at least so far as to make it intelligible to Adams. The true story behind Gould's gold corner remains obscure, especially to Adams. _Introduces the Gould episode as a key event that underscores the era's corruption and opacity._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_education_of_henry_adams_se/chapters/xviii-free-fight-1869-1870 - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_education_of_henry_adams_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_education_of_henry_adams_se/chapters