John and Abigail Smith Adams were often separated for long periods of time due to work and the general turbulence of the times. They exchanged over 1,100 letters, beginning during their courtship in 1762 and continuing throughout John's political career. During the early 1770s, John wrote to Abigail when his legal work for the circuit court took him away from home. John and Abigail Adams exchanged numerous letters while John served in the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1777. John Adams's first diplomatic assignment in Europe in early 1778 prompted a series of transatlantic exchanges of letters between him and his wife until he returned to the United State in the middle of 1779. Although it was challenging to send mail across the ocean (especially during wartime) after John returned to Europe they resumed their correspondence between Braintree, Massachusetts, and Europe during late 1779 until the summer of 1784, when Abigail arrived in London. While they were both in Europe they exchanged a few letters at various times when they were apart between December 1786 and January 1789. During John Adams's vice presidency and presidency they wrote many letters to each other.
