Robert Adams was born on February 26, 1846 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of Robert and Matilda Hart Adams.
The family was important in Pennsylvania history as appears from the State's muster-rolls and Robert's membership in various colonial and Revolutionary societies.
He began his education at Claymont, Delaware, prepared for college at the Philadelphia Classical Institute, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, with the degrees of A. B. (1869) and A. M. (1872).
He studied law with George W. Biddle of Philadelphia and was admitted to the bar in 1872. While at college he had taken courses in geology under Prof. Ferdinand V. Hayden.
He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1884 with the degree of B. F.
In 1871 Adams joined Prof. Ferdinand V. Hayden, who in 1867 began his explorations in the government's western territories, in his Yellowstone researches leading to the withdrawal of 3, 575 square miles for a national park. During these four years of investigation, Adams was special correspondent for two New York and two Philadelphia newspapers, and developed the ability to interest the average reader in subjects demanding intimate knowledge and accurate description.
Adams represented a Philadelphia district in the state Senate in 1882-1886.
On April 1, 1889 President Harrison appointed him minister to Brazil, where he remained until July 1, 1890, devoting much money and time to a thorough examination of consular work in Spanish America.
Upon election to Congress in 1893 he framed a measure for consular reform, which after twelve years of vigorous support he was to see become law. In Congress Adams represented an important business district of Philadelphia which returned him in 1904 by 41, 724 votes to 7, 393 for all other candidates. His particular fields of activity during his thirteen years of service were foreign relations, internal improvements, and Pennsylvania interests. He was familiar with the resources of Spanish America and saw clearly the effects of Spanish misgovernment in Cuba, from which he reasoned that Spain would not long hold her colonial empire together and that the United States could not guarantee her against loss.
When therefore President McKinley on April 11, 1898 asked Congress for authority to end hostilities in Cuba, Adams, as acting chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, conducted through the House, and had charge in conference with the Senate, of the resolution by which at 3 a. m. April 19 Congress declared Cuba independent. With like energy he drafted, introduced, and forced through the House in one hour the congressional resolution of April 25 declaring war against Spain.
After the power of Spain had collapsed, Adams, as a representative of America's commercial interests, favored the retention of the Philippines by the United States. At about this time he began to meet with increasing financial difficulties. Weakened by failing health, he was subjected to extra work as acting chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the absence of his chief. Not until May 31, 1906 did his diplomatic and consular measure pass the House. Then, as he wrote Speaker Cannon, he felt warranted in abandoning his official position, and the next morning died by his own hand.
Adams was a Republican member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Adams never married.
