I am reading the book right now - early on, when John is about 41, indeed they 
do not have any servants except one girl who lived (and died, I might add, of 
an epidemic) while John was in Philadelphia.  By this time-the Adams of 
Braintree Massachusetts, were 4th generation American farmers; who did lots of 
things on the side to survive, from shoe cobbling to malt making.  I am 
enjoying the book....
 
Sg
 
Oh, I forgot to add some costume content!  One anecdotal note was made when 
Abigal asked John to buy her a bundle of pins from Philadelphia:
 
'''The cry for pins is so great that what we used to buy for 7 shilling and six 
pence are now 20 shillings and not to be had for that."  A bundle of pins 
contained six thousand, she explained.  These she could sell for hard money or 
use for barter."



> Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 10:28:43 -0600> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL 
> PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [h-cost] John Adams HBO series> > Pierre & Sandy 
> Pettinger wrote:> Servants? What servants? I'd expect the Adams' to have a 
> couple > farmhands and at least one girl in the house, but I've seen none. > 
> There's no way Abigail is running the farm by herself with 3 small kids. > 
> They might have a cow and some chickens, but no way there's a crop > coming 
> without help.> > > > Dawn
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