The Education of Henry Adams · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams.
Henry Adams
major
Also known as Henry Brooks Adams, Brooks, Henry, Henry Brooks, the boy Henry, The boy Henry, Even Henry Adams, Mrs. Brooks Adams, Apparently Adams, the Autobiography, Adams
The narrator and protagonist, reflecting on his education and life from childhood to old age.
John Hay
supporting
Also known as Hay, John Hay—tried, Already Hay
Close friend and fellow diplomat, later U.S. Secretary of State.
Charles Francis Adams
supporting
Also known as Adams, Charles, Charles Francis, Luckily Charles Francis Adams, Charles Adams, Assistant Professor Adams
Henry's father, a prominent diplomat and politician.
John Quincy Adams
supporting
Also known as John Adams, Quincy, Adams, John Quincy Adams Minister, young Adams, John Quincy
Henry's grandfather, former U.S. President and Congressman.
Clarence King
supporting
Also known as King, One Clarence King
Geologist and close friend of Henry Adams.
Charles Sumner
supporting
Also known as Sumner, Charles, Senator Sumner, Mr. Sumner, That Sumner
U.S. Senator and abolitionist, a family friend.
Lord John Russell
supporting
Also known as Lord John, Russell, Lord Russell, John Russell, John, Earl Russell, Earl
British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary during the Civil War.
Lord Palmerston
supporting
Also known as Palmerston, Personally Lord Palmerston, Lords Palmerston
British Prime Minister, a key figure in Anglo-American relations.
William Ewart Gladstone
supporting
Also known as Mr. Gladstone, Gladstone
British statesman and four-time Prime Minister.
Ulysses S. Grant
supporting
Also known as Grant, President Grant, General Grant, Subsequently Grant
Union general and 18th U.S. President.
Monckton Milnes
minor
Also known as Milnes, Even Monckton Milnes
English poet and literary figure, host of salons.
William H. Seward
supporting
Also known as Mr. Seward, Seward, Superficially Mr. Seward, Secretary Seward, Governor Seward
U.S. Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson.
John Bright
minor
Also known as Bright
British radical statesman and orator, supporter of the Union.
Algernon Swinburne
minor
Also known as Mr. Algernon Swinburne, Swinburne, Of Swinburne
English poet and critic, met in London.
James Milnes Gaskell
minor
Also known as young Milnes Gaskell, Milnes Gaskell, Mr. Milnes Gaskell, Mr. James Milnes Gaskell
English country gentleman and friend of Henry Adams.
John G. Palfrey
minor
Also known as Dr. Palfrey, Dr. John G. Palfrey, Palfrey
Unitarian minister and historian, family acquaintance.
James Russell Lowell
minor
Also known as Lowell, Russell Lowell, Russell
American poet, critic, and diplomat.
John La Farge
minor
Also known as La Farge
American artist and stained-glass maker, travel companion.
Augustus St. Gaudens
minor
Also known as St. Gaudens
American sculptor, creator of the Adams Memorial.
Francis Turner Palgrave
minor
Also known as Turner, Palgrave, Francis Turner, Frank Palgrave
English poet and anthologist, friend in London.
Samuel Langley
minor
Also known as Langley
American astronomer and physicist, Secretary of the Smithsonian.
James M. Mason
minor
Also known as Mason, Mr. Mason, Possibly Mason, Mr. James M. Mason
Confederate diplomat to Britain during the Civil War.
Thurlow Weed
minor
Also known as Mr. Weed, Weed
New York political boss and journalist.
James McNeill Whistler
minor
Also known as Whistler
American-born painter, met in London society.
Salmon P. Chase
minor
Also known as Mr. Chase
U.S. Treasury Secretary and Chief Justice.
Charles Lyell
minor
Also known as Sir Charles Lyell, Sir Charles, Charles, Lyell
British geologist, influential on Darwinism.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
minor
Also known as Garibaldi
Italian revolutionary and military leader.
Lucius Q. C. Lamar
minor
Also known as Mr. Lamar, Lamar
Mississippi politician and Supreme Court Justice.
Thomas Carlyle
minor
Also known as Carlyle, Mr. Carlyle
Scottish essayist and historian, met in London.
Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar
minor
Also known as Judge Hoar, Hoar
U.S. Attorney General and Massachusetts judge.
William E. Forster
minor
Also known as Forster
British statesman and education reformer.
William Makepeace Thackeray
minor
Also known as Thackeray
English novelist, met in London literary circles.
Abraham Lincoln
supporting
Also known as Mr. Lincoln, Lincoln, poor Mr. Lincoln, President Lincoln
16th U.S. President, central figure during the Civil War.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
minor
Also known as Jean - Jacques Rousseau, Jean - Jacques
Genevan philosopher, referenced in educational context.
Whitelaw Reid
minor
Also known as William C. Whitney or Whitelaw Reid, William C. Whitney, Whitney
Newspaper editor and diplomat.
Simon Cameron
minor
Also known as Byron, Senator Cameron, Cameron
Pennsylvania senator and Lincoln's first War Secretary.
Edward Everett
minor
Also known as Mr. Everett, Everett
Unitarian minister, orator, and Harvard president.
Theodore Roosevelt
minor
Also known as Roosevelt, concerned Roosevelt, President Roosevelt
26th U.S. President, met later in Adams's life.
John Lothrop Motley
minor
Also known as Motley, Lothrop Motley
American historian and diplomat.
John Arthur Roebuck
minor
Also known as Mr. Roebuck, Roebuck
British politician and pro-Confederate sympathizer.
Thomas B. Reed
minor
Also known as Reed, Mr. Reed
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Robert E. Lee
minor
Also known as Roony, Roony Lee, Lee, Colonel Robert E. Lee, Robert E.
Confederate general, known from Washington youth.
Henry Reeve
minor
Also known as Reeve
English journalist and editor of the Edinburgh Review.
Lady Margaret Beaumont
minor
Also known as Lady Margaret
English aristocrat and hostess.
Hugh McCulloch
minor
Also known as Mr. McCulloch, McCulloch
U.S. Treasury Secretary under Lincoln and Johnson.
Wilhelm II
minor
Also known as the Kaiser, who seemed to have had no thought but to obey with almost agonized anxiety the least hint of the Kaiser, The Kaiser, Kaiser, the Kaiser Wilhelm
German Emperor, observed during European travels.
Karl Pearson
minor
Also known as Pearson
English mathematician and biometrician.
Isaac Newton
minor
Also known as Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Isaac, Newton, Isaac Newton
English physicist, referenced in scientific discussions.
Henry Cabot Lodge
minor
Also known as Mrs. Lodge, Mrs. Cabot Lodge, Cabot Lodge, Lodge, Cabot, Bay Lodge
U.S. Senator and historian, friend of Adams.
Count Cassini
minor
Also known as Cassini
Russian diplomat to the United States.
Napoleon III
minor
Also known as Napoleon, Instantly Napoleon III, Superficially Napoleon
Emperor of France, a figure in European politics.
Frank Walker
minor
Also known as Walker
American economist and statistician.
Raymond Poincaré
minor
Also known as M. Poincaré, Poincaré
French statesman, later President.
Adam Badeau
minor
Also known as Adam, Badeau
American author and military secretary to Grant.
Josiah Willard Gibbs
minor
Also known as Willard Gibbs, Gibbs
American scientist, pioneer in physical chemistry.
Raphael Pumpelly
minor
Also known as Raphael, the Raphael
American geologist and explorer.
Lord Granville
minor
Also known as Granville
British Foreign Secretary and Liberal statesman.
Edward Gibbon
minor
Also known as Gibbon, a Gibbon
English historian, author of Decline and Fall.
Jefferson Davis
minor
Also known as Jefferson, Possibly Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederate States.
Lady Palmerston
minor
Also known as Palmerston
Wife of Lord Palmerston, a London hostess.
Victor Hugo
minor
Also known as Hugo
French novelist and poet, met in exile.
John Delane
minor
Also known as Delane of the Times, Delane, the Times, Mr. Delane
Editor of The Times of London.
Jay Gould
minor
Also known as Gould
American financier and railroad magnate.
Rudyard Kipling
minor
Also known as Kipling
British writer and poet, met in Washington.
Hamilton Fish
minor
Also known as Mr. Fish, Fish, Secretary Fish
U.S. Secretary of State under Grant.
Daniel Webster
minor
Also known as Webster, Mr. Webster
U.S. Senator and statesman, known from youth.
Charles Dickens
minor
Also known as Dickens, Charles
English novelist, referenced in literary context.
George Washington
minor
Also known as George
First U.S. President, a historical reference.
Henry Hobson Richardson
minor
Also known as H. H. Richardson, Richardson
American architect, designed Adams's house.
William McKinley
minor
Also known as Suddenly Mr. McKinley, Mr. McKinley, McKinley, President McKinley
25th U.S. President, met in later years.
Ernst Haeckel
minor
Also known as Haeckel
German biologist and philosopher.
Edwin Lawrence Godkin
minor
Also known as Godkin
Editor of the New York Evening Post.
William Holman Hunt
minor
Also known as Holman Hunt
English painter, member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Sergei Witte
minor
Also known as Mr. de Witte, de Witte
Russian finance minister and statesman.
Matthew Arnold
minor
Also known as Matthew Arnold
English poet and critic, met in London.
Andrew Johnson
minor
Also known as President Andrew Johnson, President Johnson
17th U.S. President, succeeded Lincoln.
Benjamin Franklin
minor
Also known as Franklin
American founding father, a historical reference.
Thomas Babington Macaulay
minor
Also known as Macaulay, Lord Macaulay
British historian and politician.
Walter Savage Landor
minor
Also known as Savage, Landor
English writer and poet.
Charles Eliot
minor
Also known as President Eliot
President of Harvard University.
Grover Cleveland
minor
Also known as President Cleveland, Mr. Cleveland
22nd and 24th U.S. President.
