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independence
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
independence
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Christmas/Easter/Independence etc Day
▪ What day of the week is Christmas Day this year?
declared independence (=officially stated that it was no longer ruled by Spain)
▪ We celebrate September 16, the day when Mexico declared independence from Spain .
gain independence
▪ Jamaica has had this flag since 1962, when it gained independence from Britain.
Independence Day
independence/strength/flexibility of mind
▪ men who were chosen for their independence of mind
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
complete
▪ The 1983 Act has invalidated many of the previous criticisms about the lack of complete independence from the executive.
economic
▪ Thus the national economic programme departs from the political; national independence does not include economic independence.
▪ Are they large enough to still have some national economic independence left, or have they too lost their economic independence?
▪ As soon as a child is born entitlement begins and is never questioned until the child itself attains economic independence.
▪ Are they large enough to still have some national economic independence left, or have they too lost their economic independence?
▪ Most were hired annually, and the employment did give young women a measure of choice and relative economic independence.
▪ The dream that the resort offered was of economic independence by being in business on one's own.
▪ But the establishment of economic independence was a slow process.
financial
▪ Wealth Private funds; financial independence.
▪ He will work for your financial independence and will never take advantage or misuse your money for his own good.
▪ The clergy had a financial independence which the laity lacked.
▪ Charles and Laquetta Prince realized early in their marriage that free enterprise was the only sure route to financial independence.
▪ Today it prospers and because of the financial independence that business brings, the Johnsons' dreams are coming true.
▪ It made financial contributions at independence 20 years ago.
▪ There were times of insecurity and wonder, but we kept moving toward our goal of financial independence.
full
▪ They dismissed it as vague and said it would legitimise Labour's devolved Assembly and dilute plans for full independence.
▪ Aruba was separated from the other islands in 1986, pending full independence in 1996.
great
▪ Earlier plans for tighter financial control and greater independence for management had not been successful.
▪ The constitutional reforms of July 1994 may foster greater judicial independence.
▪ But he has more than once shown great independence of mind.
▪ And even the greatest independence was insufficient, still not enough.
▪ Working also gives me a great sense of independence.
judicial
▪ The cornerstone of that ideology is the doctrine of judicial independence, to which we now turn.
▪ The constitutional reforms of July 1994 may foster greater judicial independence.
▪ After discreet soundings, they prudently abandoned the idea, which would have involved a major encroachment upon judicial independence.
national
▪ Thus the national economic programme departs from the political; national independence does not include economic independence.
▪ Our goal is a stable government there, carrying on a struggle to maintain its national independence.
▪ Should political authority be managed for national independence or for collaboration?
▪ Are they large enough to still have some national economic independence left, or have they too lost their economic independence?
▪ In the nineteenth century, religion was not admitted as a legitimate basis for national independence.
▪ Then one day we stumbled into puberty and found that our adolescence coincided with the struggle for national independence.
▪ Now his incantations of the old slogans of national independence and identity sounded more and more hollow.
political
▪ Even when the judicial structure does strive to maintain some political independence, it still might respond to political pressure.
▪ During the cold war, and to a great extent because of it, the colonial world achieved political independence.
▪ In quest of mass circulation and advertising support, the major city newspapers gradually developed a tradition of political and journalistic independence.
▪ We will reform recent legislation affecting the independent channels to entrench the interests of quality broadcasting and to guarantee political independence.
▪ Equally important in retarding the political independence of the business community were the continuing divisions and antagonisms within it.
▪ Pitted against it were the great princes, some with ambition to achieve political and legal independence of the crown.
▪ Economic dependency was frowned on, but there was no question of political independence.
■ NOUN
movement
▪ In Jayapura the independence movement organised its most forthright challenge yet.
▪ Facing an independence movement is something Milosevic has been used to for the past 10 years.
▪ Some of the most active leaders of the independence movement began their political careers at the feet of the Mahatma at Sabarmati.
▪ Even so, several titans of the independence movement survived him and one - Lal Bahadur Shastri - succeeded him.
▪ These statutes were ironically among the main foci of opposition during those countries' independence movements.
■ VERB
achieve
▪ The Guidance concentrates on the organizational status of internal audit and the objectivity of internal auditors in achieving the requisite independence.
▪ Western Samoa achieved independence from New Zealand in 1962 and became a member of the Commonwealth in 1970.
▪ We have argued that for questions of value reason can not achieve this independence.
▪ This issue is dealt with in later chapters. * the need to achieve independence and self-fulfilment.
▪ Pitted against it were the great princes, some with ambition to achieve political and legal independence of the crown.
assert
▪ But she sought not so much to break a taboo as to assert her independence from the male yoke.
▪ Power gives us the ability to control, to choose and to assert our independence.
▪ It seems that this was their means of asserting their continuing independence of Moscow.
declare
▪ In his inauguration speech Brazauskas declared that upholding the independence of the state was his primary aim.
▪ Many of these thinkers saw their role as one of declaring the independence of their discipline from theological domination.
▪ The republics By the end of August, the majority of republics had declared independence from the Soviet Union.
▪ Moreover, those elected might then declare independence and seek foreign intervention to aid their cause.
fight
▪ Disability - We're working with lots of groups involving young people with disabilities fighting for independence, integration and rights.
▪ The two have fought three wars since independence of Britain in 1947.
gain
▪ Further education colleges will gain new independence from April 1993, and will be responsible for their own budgets.
▪ By the 1930s Storni had gained sufficient independence to allow her poetic vision to encompass the world of objects around her.
give
▪ It is the focal point of a permanent campaign to give independence through personal transport to as many people as possible.
▪ The revolution that gave us our independence took place more than 200 years ago.
▪ We are able to give them the independence they so badly need, and with it self respect and dignity.
▪ I like to give people lots of independence and just check on them every once in a while.
▪ Without a significant amount of public ownership therefore, a liberal market system gives companies independence.
▪ Giving him total control over the cables was the only way to give him independence.
▪ And the government's recent promise to give the central bank independence should buttress its authority in the markets.
▪ She liked the unexpected status she felt it gave her, the independence, the choice.
grant
▪ To delegate power and to grant independence are two very different things.
▪ The country was granted independence from Great Britain on Sept. 16, 1963.
▪ I felt unhappy and critical once more at the decision of Mr Attlee and his government to grant independence without further effort.
hold
▪ In December 1991 had Jawara announced that he was stepping down as President, a position which he had held since independence.
▪ On June 26, Independence Day celebrations were held.
▪ June 25: Moldavia's President Snegur announced that the republic would hold a referendum on independence in the autumn.
lose
▪ She knew that she had lost her independence as a woman, which she had been so proud of.
▪ While some elements lose their independence, others regain it.
▪ The last big East End brewery had lost its independence.
▪ Are they large enough to still have some national economic independence left, or have they too lost their economic independence?
▪ But Percy Fryer says the decision means he's lost his independence.
▪ He was going to lose his independence, he was going to lose his freedom, he was definitely losing the car.
▪ But this can not survive if an orchestra loses its individuality and independence.
▪ Therefore, the scheme can provide some of the back-up for single-handed practitioners without their losing the independence that they rightly value.
maintain
▪ Even by accepting Laura Danby's kind invitation, Meredith's own fiercely maintained independence could be said to have been undermined.
▪ Even when the judicial structure does strive to maintain some political independence, it still might respond to political pressure.
▪ Their efforts may be too little too late to ensure that the Pearl maintains its independence.
▪ Chaotic mechanisms would serve to maintain the functional independence of different parts of the nervous system.
▪ Only the Kandyan Kingdom maintained its independence in the interior.
▪ Our goal is a stable government there, carrying on a struggle to maintain its national independence.
▪ However, there was considerable pressure for the terms of retirement to be such that older people could maintain economic independence.
▪ In a vain attempt to maintain her independence, she spent Monday and Tuesday nights at home - alone.
preserve
▪ It can be justified as preserving the independence of the organisation, and the freedom of action to perform its functions.
▪ To preserve independence, Fed governors enjoy secure terms of fourteen years.
▪ She preserved her dignity, independence and way of life.
▪ Through buying the Observer, he preserved the independence of Garvin.
▪ Most of us seek to preserve independence in matters in which the bodily functions of urinating and excreting are concerned.
▪ This was based on an explicit philosophy of preserving the dignity and independence of patients.
▪ This policy preserved the independence of the smaller breweries.
▪ And shareholders should not underestimate the determination of the Jaguar management to preserve its independence.
retain
▪ Nevertheless, an important group of family firms retained their independence, and others have entered the industry since that time.
▪ The news division was to retain its independence and integrity under the new owner as it had under the old.
▪ Agnes E lived alone, had reached her ninetieth year and had retained her independence of mind.
▪ Even so, the system on board the spacecraft retained some independence should contact with ground control be lost.
▪ The easiest and least expensive way to retain your freedom and independence.
▪ It's also very necessary to retain independence on both sides.
▪ Yet even the post-classical trust retained its independence of a testamentary heir.
seek
▪ He also expressed optimism that an acceptable constitutional arrangement could be agreed which would obviate the need for Quebec to seek independence.
▪ They sought power and independence above all.
▪ Most of us seek to preserve independence in matters in which the bodily functions of urinating and excreting are concerned.
show
▪ With regard to independence, Chas is shown as both wanting independence and in practice being independent.
▪ Now that my hands were free to move again, they began to show a remarkable independence.
▪ Audrey is shown as wanting independence, but in practice usually failing.
▪ But he has more than once shown great independence of mind.
▪ Edward, according to his younger brother's memories, had always shown a rebellious independence of spirit against domestic or external authority.
▪ It showed na unprecedented, independence, a modern industrialized economy and other social reforms.
▪ Dexter smiled: Blanche had obviously decided to show some independence now that the press conference had begun.
▪ And in the process he showed his steel of independence.
win
▪ By the mid 1960s most colonies had won their independence and by the mid 1970s the world was virtually free of colonies.
▪ To win time and independence Cooley wrote books rather than articles.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Independence/election/Christmas etc day
▪ By election day, many observers will question why Bill Clinton and Bob Dole were nominated and why they are running.
▪ It was July 1, almost Independence Day.
▪ Legislation to outlaw Christmas Day trading looks set to be in place in time for this year's festive period.
▪ She has a rat on top of the living room door on Christmas Day, for example, and it will last her two days.
▪ Then came the Christmas Day massacre, by an Inkatha mob several hundred strong.
assert your rights/independence/superiority etc
▪ And the revolution in the structure of services and management meant elderly frail people found it increasingly difficult to assert their rights.
▪ Athens asserted her rights over her citizens temporarily exiled, as she did over those at home and liable for service.
▪ But she sought not so much to break a taboo as to assert her independence from the male yoke.
▪ Mrs Armitage's heir is already asserting his rights in the matter but that is not my concern.
▪ Power gives us the ability to control, to choose and to assert our independence.
▪ Stickers are available throughout the county to help squeezed out pedestrians assert their rights.
▪ You need to be selective and judge when it is appropriate to assert your rights.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ financial independence
▪ Gradually schools gained a certain amount of independence from the Church.
▪ He was desperate to get a job and regain his independence.
▪ Roz said she'd never marry because she valued her independence too much.
▪ She no longer had that feeling of independence she had fought so hard to win.
▪ She worked hard to gain financial independence.
▪ Since independence, the country has had high unemployment.
▪ the American war of independence
▪ The apartments allow older people to keep their independence, while having medical care available.
▪ The British granted independence to Ceylon in 1948.
▪ the Vietnamese struggle for independence
▪ There is a move to increase the independence of the judiciary.
▪ Though they want to exert their independence, these kids are not quite ready for it.
▪ Your first pay cheque gives you a terrific sense of independence.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ I had this sense of independence.
▪ Inflation - rampant since independence - now went mad.
▪ Many became voluntary controlled, with more carefully circumscribed independence and total support from public funds.
▪ Money means mobility, money means independence and personal dignity.
▪ Only the Kandyan Kingdom maintained its independence in the interior.
▪ Shyness in this instance has proved a virtue and its resulting insularity and independence a blessing.
▪ This vital dilemma is discussed later in chapter 11, along with the pros and cons of independence.
▪ Thus the national economic programme departs from the political; national independence does not include economic independence.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Independence

Independence \In`de*pend"ence\, n. [Cf. F. ind['e]pendance.]

  1. The state or quality of being independent; freedom from dependence; exemption from reliance on, or control by, others; self-subsistence or maintenance; direction of one's own affairs without interference.

    Let fortune do her worst, . . . as long as she never makes us lose our honesty and our independence.
    --Pope.

  2. Sufficient means for a comfortable livelihood.

    Declaration of Independence (Amer. Hist.), the declaration of the Congress of the Thirteen United States of America, on the 4th of July, 1776, by which they formally declared that these colonies were free and independent States, not subject to the government of Great Britain.

Related phrases:
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
independence

1630s; see independent + -ence. Earlier in same sense was independency (1610s). U.S. Independence Day (July 4) recorded under that name by 1791. An Old English word for it was selfdom, with dom "law."

Wiktionary
independence

n. 1 The state or quality of being independent; freedom from dependence; exemption from reliance on, or control by others; self-subsistence or maintenance; direction of one's own affairs without interference. 2 The state of having sufficient means for a comfortable livelihood.

Related phrases:
WordNet
independence

  1. n. freedom from control or influence of another or others [syn: independency]

  2. the successful ending of the American Revolution; "they maintained close relations with England even after independence"

  3. a city in western Missouri; the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail

Gazetteer
Independence, MO -- U.S. city in Missouri
Population (2000): 113288
Housing Units (2000): 50213
Land area (2000): 78.328220 sq. miles (202.869151 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.126088 sq. miles (0.326566 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 78.454308 sq. miles (203.195717 sq. km)
FIPS code: 35000
Located within: Missouri (MO), FIPS 29
Location: 39.079805 N, 94.406551 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 64050 64052 64053 64055 64056 64057
64058
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, MO
Independence
Independence, CA -- U.S. Census Designated Place in California
Population (2000): 574
Housing Units (2000): 342
Land area (2000): 3.997508 sq. miles (10.353498 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 3.997508 sq. miles (10.353498 sq. km)
FIPS code: 36350
Located within: California (CA), FIPS 06
Location: 36.805770 N, 118.202307 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 93526
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, CA
Independence
Independence, OH -- U.S. city in Ohio
Population (2000): 7109
Housing Units (2000): 2726
Land area (2000): 9.585923 sq. miles (24.827425 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 9.585923 sq. miles (24.827425 sq. km)
FIPS code: 37240
Located within: Ohio (OH), FIPS 39
Location: 41.381870 N, 81.640959 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 44131
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, OH
Independence
Independence, OR -- U.S. city in Oregon
Population (2000): 6035
Housing Units (2000): 2131
Land area (2000): 2.333914 sq. miles (6.044808 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.090369 sq. miles (0.234055 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 2.424283 sq. miles (6.278863 sq. km)
FIPS code: 36150
Located within: Oregon (OR), FIPS 41
Location: 44.853101 N, 123.191388 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 97351
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, OR
Independence
Independence, IA -- U.S. city in Iowa
Population (2000): 6014
Housing Units (2000): 2610
Land area (2000): 3.708116 sq. miles (9.603975 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.134959 sq. miles (0.349542 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 3.843075 sq. miles (9.953517 sq. km)
FIPS code: 38100
Located within: Iowa (IA), FIPS 19
Location: 42.470191 N, 91.893898 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 50644
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, IA
Independence
Independence, KS -- U.S. city in Kansas
Population (2000): 9846
Housing Units (2000): 4747
Land area (2000): 4.974332 sq. miles (12.883459 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 4.974332 sq. miles (12.883459 sq. km)
FIPS code: 33875
Located within: Kansas (KS), FIPS 20
Location: 37.228251 N, 95.711392 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 67301
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, KS
Independence
Independence, KY -- U.S. city in Kentucky
Population (2000): 14982
Housing Units (2000): 5391
Land area (2000): 16.772507 sq. miles (43.440592 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.006417 sq. miles (0.016619 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 16.778924 sq. miles (43.457211 sq. km)
FIPS code: 39142
Located within: Kentucky (KY), FIPS 21
Location: 38.953668 N, 84.546990 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 41051
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, KY
Independence
Independence, LA -- U.S. town in Louisiana
Population (2000): 1724
Housing Units (2000): 735
Land area (2000): 2.231891 sq. miles (5.780571 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.001764 sq. miles (0.004570 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 2.233655 sq. miles (5.785141 sq. km)
FIPS code: 37025
Located within: Louisiana (LA), FIPS 22
Location: 30.635293 N, 90.504005 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 70443
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, LA
Independence
Independence, MN -- U.S. city in Minnesota
Population (2000): 3236
Housing Units (2000): 1115
Land area (2000): 32.582634 sq. miles (84.388631 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 2.002520 sq. miles (5.186503 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 34.585154 sq. miles (89.575134 sq. km)
FIPS code: 30842
Located within: Minnesota (MN), FIPS 27
Location: 45.017562 N, 93.699325 W
ZIP Codes (1990):
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, MN
Independence
Independence, VA -- U.S. town in Virginia
Population (2000): 971
Housing Units (2000): 497
Land area (2000): 2.338944 sq. miles (6.057837 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 2.338944 sq. miles (6.057837 sq. km)
FIPS code: 39528
Located within: Virginia (VA), FIPS 51
Location: 36.622906 N, 81.151735 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 24348
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, VA
Independence
Independence, WI -- U.S. city in Wisconsin
Population (2000): 1244
Housing Units (2000): 619
Land area (2000): 1.270999 sq. miles (3.291871 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.039539 sq. miles (0.102406 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 1.310538 sq. miles (3.394277 sq. km)
FIPS code: 36800
Located within: Wisconsin (WI), FIPS 55
Location: 44.358425 N, 91.422217 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 54747
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Independence, WI
Independence
Independence -- U.S. County in Arkansas
Population (2000): 34233
Housing Units (2000): 14841
Land area (2000): 763.781051 sq. miles (1978.183758 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 7.792729 sq. miles (20.183074 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 771.573780 sq. miles (1998.366832 sq. km)
Located within: Arkansas (AR), FIPS 05
Location: 35.757476 N, 91.587049 W
Headwords:
Independence
Independence, AR
Independence County
Independence County, AR
Wikipedia
Independence (probability theory)

In probability theory, two events are independent, statistically independent, or stochastically independent if the occurrence of one does not affect the probability of the other. Similarly, two random variables are independent if the realization of one does not affect the probability distribution of the other.

The concept of independence extends to dealing with collections of more than two events or random variables, in which case the events are pairwise independent if each pair are independent of each other, and the events are mutually independent if each event is independent of each other combination of events.

Independence

Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over the territory. The opposite of independence is a dependent territory. Independence does not necessarily mean freedom.

Independence (disambiguation)

Independence generally refers to the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population.

Independence may also refer to:

Independence (mathematical logic)

In mathematical logic, independence refers to the unprovability of a sentence from other sentences.

A sentence σ is independent of a given first-order theory T if T neither proves nor refutes σ; that is, it is impossible to prove σ from T, and it is also impossible to prove from T that σ is false. Sometimes, σ is said (synonymously) to be undecidable from T; this is not the same meaning of "decidability" as in a decision problem.

A theory T is independent if each axiom in T is not provable from the remaining axioms in T. A theory for which there is an independent set of axioms is independently axiomatizable.

Independence (Kansas)
  1. redirect Independence, Kansas
Independence (1999 film)

Independence is a 1999 Malayalam movie directed by Vinayan starring Kalabhavan Mani, Kushboo Sundar, Vani Viswanath and Indraja in the lead roles.

Independence (Israeli political party)

Independence (, Ha'Atzma'ut) is a political party in Israel. It was launched by Defense Minister Ehud Barak on 17 January 2011 after he and four other Labor Party MKs announced their secession from the caucus. In the words of the announcement, the faction aims to be "centrist, Zionist, and democratic" and to establish itself as a separate political party. It was built on the vestiges of the Third Way party. Nine days after Barak announced his retirement from politics, it was announced that Independence would not contest the 2013 Knesset elections.

Independence (Lulu album)

Independence is an album by Scottish singer Lulu, released in 1993. It was Lulu's first release of new material since 1982.

Independence (Kosheen album)

Independence is Kosheen's fourth studio album released on October 1, 2012. The digital copy of the album from iTunes includes two additional instrumentals, 'Zone 10' and 'Zone 15', as well as a remix of their single 'Spies' by Moth Equals.

Independence (1976 film)

Independence is a 1976 docudrama film directed by John Huston and starring Eli Wallach, Pat Hingle and Anne Jackson. E.G. Marshall narrates.

Independence was produced for the U.S. National Park Service on the occasion of the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976. In less than 30 minutes, visitors to Independence National Historical Park get a quick and dramatic overview of the political events that took place in Philadelphia between 1774 and 1800.

Related phrases:

Usage examples of "independence".

Nothing is more strange than the incongruous mixture of the forms of feudalism with the independence of the Acadian woods.

That virtue and independence were among the highest of mortal attainments, John Adams never doubted.

To Adams independence was the only guarantee of American liberty, and he was determined that the great step be taken.

It was the New Englanders who held firm for independence, though two of the Massachusetts delegation, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine, exhibited nothing like the zeal of either Samuel Adams or Elbridge Gerry.

Friends in Massachusetts reported to Adams that because of Common Sense the clamor for a declaration of independence was never greater.

Much as he foresaw the hard truth about the war to be waged, Adams had the clearest idea of anyone in Congress of what independence would actually entail, the great difficulties and risks, no less than the opportunities.

But writing again to Warren, Adams tried to explain the concern and hesitation over independence.

Jefferson had been slower, more cautious and ambivalent than Adams about resolving his views on independence.

Words in debate were one thing, the war quite another, but to Adams independence and the war were never disjunctive.

Taking the floor in protest, Adams called Sullivan a decoy duck sent to seduce Congress into renunciation of independence.

Above all, with his sense of urgency and unrelenting drive, Adams made the Declaration of Independence happen when it did.

American struggle for independence hope for all humanity, and who, as Adams would long contend, never received the recognition they deserved.

But in this Adams was both overstating his own part and being blatantly unfair to Franklin, who had supported the recognition of American independence since the beginning, before Adams ever arrived on the scene.

IT HAD BEEN NINE YEARS since the First Continental Congress at Philadelphia, eight years since Lexington and Concord, seven since the Declaration of Independence, and more than three years since John Adams had last left home in the role of peacemaker.

If Adams had any thoughts or feelings about the passing of the epochal eighteenth century--any observations on the Age of Enlightenment, the century of Johnson, Voltaire, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the age of Pitt and Washington, the advent of the United States of America--or if he had any premonitions or words to the wise about the future of his country or of humankind, he committed none to paper.