Hannah Adams (October 2, 1755 – December 15, 1831) was an American author of books on comparative religion and early United States history.

[2] Born in "humble obscurity" in a remote country town, in part self-educated, she lived at a time when women in New England were rarely educated.

The emolument she derived from this not only placed her in a comfortable situation, but enabled her to pay the debts she had contracted during her and her sister's illness, and lended a small sum at interest.

Having prepared for Harvard College his only son Thomas — Hannah's father — he strongly opposed his leaving him, desiring, as he had a delicate constitution, that he should settle upon his large farm.

A student by nature, and not particularly fond of agricultural pursuits, Thomas stayed on the farm and opened a shop for the sale of English books and goods.

Her chief delight being in literary pursuits, she eagerly accepted the offer of some gentlemen boarding at her father's house, to teach her Latin, Greek, geography and logic.

In his autobiography published in the "History of Norton," he said, in reference to Adams: "Under her tuition principally I fitted for college, and was admitted into Cambridge University, July, 1786."

Soon after, she had the opportunity to tutor three young men of her neighborhood in Latin and Greek; and so well was this work done that one of them afterward said that her tuition principally fitted him for college.

The quality of her scholarship also earned her the respect and friendship of several prominent Boston intellectuals, most notably William Smith Shaw and Joseph Stevens Buckminster.

[2] Adams was the first professional author to be a member of the Boston Athenæum, where some of her letters, early editions of her books and her portrait by Chester Harding are kept.

A View of Religions was divided into three parts: Adams's first literary work was the result of her dissatisfaction with the prejudice of most writers on the various religious sects.

A View of Religions was published in 1784, in accordance with the custom of the time, after subscriptions had been obtained to the' proposal' of the work, sufficient in number to warrant its issue.

It was fairly profitable, but owing to a bad bargain with the printer, Adams's returns were slight, A second edition with additions, secured by copyright, then newly established by law, was published in 1791, at the instance of influential Boston friends whom the first issue had made for her.

Next, she prepared a volume of selections from various authors under the title of Truth and Excellence of the Christian Religion, working up her material in the Boston bookshops, since she was unable to purchase or borrow the books she desired to consult.

She also found a friend and helper in Mr. Buckminster, minister, of the Brattle Street Church, another of the Anthology Club group, who gave her the freedom of his study and library.

[3] Mrs. Josiah Quincy III, the wife of Boston's mayor, was the "highly esteemed friend" who requested Adams to write her autobiography.

It contains a lithograph of the portrait of Adams, which Chester Harding (painter) painted a few years before her death at the request of Elizabeth Peabody and other friends.

[14] During this visit at Boston, I received the unexpected intelligence, that a number of benevolent gentlemen had settled an annuity upon me, to relieve me from the embarrassments I had hitherto suffered.

This providential interference excited my most lively gratitude to my generous benefactors, and I hope I sensibly felt my deep obligation to the source of all good.

Dr. Joseph Stevens Buckminster] became the Pastor of Brattle Street Church, he, with Mr. Higginson, and Mr. Shaw the active founder of the Athenæum, proposed to Miss Adams, who, from an enfeebled constitution, had begun to grow infirm, to remove to Boston; at the same time procuring for her, through the liberal subscription of a few gentlemen, an annuity for life.