Abigail Adams

• Posted July 4, 2023

Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, is arguably one of the first women’s right activists in American history. Her relentless push for women to have a voice in American society gained her an infamous reputation within the world of American politics. Regardless of the backlash she faced, however, she persevered, petitioning even her own husband so women could have a say in the major decisions of the country. While she did not get to see the full fruits of her efforts in her lifetime, Abigail Adams would be proud to see what later women's rights activists such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton helped accomplish for women.

Abigail Adams, formerly Abigail Smith, was born in Massachusetts in 1744 to William and Elizabeth Smith. While Abigail never attended a formal school, she read books from her home library and was tutored by Richard Cranch starting at age 11. Richard Cranch eventually married Abigail’s older sister and it was through him that Abigail met her husband. She was 17 when she met John who was, at the time, 26. Her parents required a prolonged engagement before their marriage, which ended with them being married October 24, 1764. After their marriage, Abigail and John had six children total, one of which was the future president, John Quincy Adams. Sadly, two of their children passed away before reaching adulthood. 

Ten years after their marriage, John Adams joined the First Continental Congress. During this time, the couple began famously exchanging letters. While the debate over independence was taking place in Philadelphia, Abigail was making her position known via her letters. Not only was she on the side of declaring independence, she felt it should apply to all people, not just men. In one of her letters she stated:

"...I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors... If particular attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no Voice, or Representation."

Her reason for rebellion was the same as the colonists’ in declaring independence: being forced to follow laws (or pay taxes) that they had no say in creating or passing. After John Adams replied humourosly to her letter calling her request the “Despotism of the Petticoat”, she made sure that he knew she was serious about her request. In addition to her push for women’s rights, she also rallied for women’s education and the push for the abolition of slavery. In one of her letters to her husband, she wrote:

  “... you need not be told how much female education is neglected, nor how fashionable it has been to ridicule female learning.”

Between 1775-1783, John Adams was serving as a representative for the United States in other countries. During this time, he was kept informed of the United States’ affairs through Abigail’s letters. In 1784, Abigail moved to Europe with him and stayed there until 1789 when John became George Washington’s Vice President. While he was serving under this title, Abigail both lived in the capital and kept up their family farm. In 1796 John began competing with his and Abigail’s friend, Thomas Jefferson, for the presidency. Up until this point, both Abigail and John had exchanged letters with Jefferson, but this stopped when the elections started. 

After John Adams won the presidency, Abigail continued to stand for her opinions. She lived on their family farm in Massachusetts during the majority of her husband’s time in office, but became the first First Lady to call the White House home when she moved in 1800. Abigail was unafraid to voice her opinion on political matters as well. She was willing to state her view on such matters as the XYZ affair and the Alien & Sedition Acts. Her outspoken personality was targeted in the election of 1800 when Albert Gallatin, one of Adams’ opponents stated:

"She is Mrs. President, not of the United States but of a faction... It is not right."

It was after this election that she left the public eye, writing in a letter to her son,

            “At my age, and with my bodily infirmities, I shall be happier at Quincy [Massachusetts].”

Following the election and the Adamses’ retirement, both Abigail and John resumed writing letters to Jefferson. Abigail Adams passed away of Typhoid in October 1818, but before then, she got to see her son become Secretary of State. Sadly, she would not live to see him be named president. Throughout her life, she didn’t want her letters to be published, arguing it her “private business.” It is with thanks to Charles Francis, her grandson, that we get to read her letters today.

Credit for the information in this post goes to:

History.com Editors. “Abigail Adams.” HISTORY, 15 Oct. 2019, www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/first-ladies/abigail-adams.

---. “Revolutionary War.” HISTORY, 3 Sept. 2019, www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history.

“Second Continental Congress [Ushistory.Org].” U.S. History, www.ushistory.org/us/10e.asp. Accessed 19 Sept. 2021.