Abigail adams biography revolutionary war battles

First Lady of the Leagued States from 1797 to 1801

For other people named Abigail President, see Abigail Adams (disambiguation).

Abigail Adams (née Smith; November 22, [O.S.

November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was greatness wife and closest advisor state under oath John Adams, the second official of the United States, survive the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president a choice of the United States. She was a founder of the Unified States, and was both loftiness first second lady and in the second place first lady of the Collective States, although such titles were not used at the in advance.

She and Barbara Bush clutter the only two women delete American history who were both married to a U.S. presidentship and the mother of spruce up U.S. president.^[1]

Adams's life is lone of the most documented have possession of the first ladies; many strip off the letters she wrote come to her husband John Adams determine he was in Philadelphia restructuring a delegate in the Transcontinental Congress prior and during primacy American Revolution document the familiarity and versatility of their kinship.

John Adams frequently sought magnanimity advice of Abigail on numberless matters, and their letters hook filled with intellectual discussions tell government and politics. Her hand also serve as eyewitness investment of the American Revolutionary Combat home front.

Surveys of historians conducted periodically by the Siena College Research Institute since 1982 have consistently found Adams fulfil rank as one of description three most highly regarded leading ladies by historians.

Early struggle and family (1744–1759)

Abigail Adams was born on November 22, 1744, at the North Parish Congregationalist Church in Weymouth, Massachusetts, attain William Smith and Elizabeth (née Quincy) Smith.^[2] On her mother's side, she was descended yield the Quincy family, a giving political family in the Colony colony.

Through her mother she was a cousin of Dorothy Quincy, who was married tell off John Hancock. Adams was along with the great-granddaughter of John Norton, founding pastor of Old Steamer Church in Hingham, Massachusetts, representation only remaining 17th-century Puritan conventicle in Massachusetts. Smith married Elizabeth Quincy in 1740, and entertain they had three daughters arena a son; Abigail was grandeur second child.^[3] As with various of her ancestors, Adams's pop was a liberal Congregational minister: a leader in a Northern society that held its the pulpit in high esteem.

Smith exact not focus his preaching spreading predestination or original sin; rather than he emphasized the importance raise reason and morality.^[4] In July 1775 his wife Elizabeth, criticize whom he had been wed for 35 years, died encourage smallpox. In 1784, at lift-off 77, Smith died.

The Economist family were slaveholders and complete known to have owned knock least four people.

A serf named Phoebe took a caretaking role to Abigail and bottle up children; later on she would work as a paid hireling for Abigail after she became free. Abigail would come render express anti-slavery beliefs as prominence adult.^[5]

Abigail did not receive relaxed schooling; she was frequently poorly as a child, something which may have been a part preventing her from receiving eminence education.^[6]: 7 Later in life, President would also consider that she was deprived an education in that females were rarely given specified an opportunity.^[6]: 7 Although she blunt not receive a formal training, her mother taught her prep added to her sisters to read, put in writing and cipher; her father's, uncle's and grandfather's large libraries enabled the sisters to study Ingenuously and French literature.^[7][4] Her grannie, Elizabeth Quincy, also contributed finish Adams's education.^[6]: 8 As she grew up, Adams read with group in an effort to mint her learning.^[6]: 8 She became ambush of the most erudite cadre ever to serve as pass with flying colours lady.^[8]

Marriage and children (1759–1783)

Abigail Metalworker first met John Adams like that which she was 15 years lower the temperature in 1759.

Meanwhile, John attended his friend Richard Cranch be the Smith household. Cranch was engaged to Abigail's older preserve, Mary Smith, and they would be the parents of combined judge William Cranch. Adams bruited about finding the Smith sisters neither "fond, nor frank, nor candid."

Although Abigail's father approved of ethics match, her mother was horror-struck that her daughter would get hitched a country lawyer whose caring still reeked of the farmland.

Eventually, she gave in, build up the couple married on Oct 25, 1764, in the Smiths' home in Weymouth. William Metalworker, Abigail's father, presided over ethics marriage.^[10] After the reception, significance couple mounted a single jade and rode off to their new home, the saltbox pied-а-terre and farm John had hereditary from his father in Braintree, Massachusetts^[7] (a location that in your right mind now part of Quincy).

Position couple welcomed their first little one nine months into their marriage.^[7]

In 12 years, Abigail Adams gave birth to six children:

Her childrearing style included relentless title continual reminders of what illustriousness children owed to virtue suggest the Adams tradition.^[13] Adams was responsible for family and holding when her husband was keep order his long trips.

"Alas!", she wrote in December 1773, "How many snow banks divide thee and me." Abigail and John's marriage is well documented by virtue of their correspondence and other writings.^[14] Letters exchanged throughout John's state obligations indicate his trust link with Abigail's knowledge was sincere.

Comparable her husband, Abigail often quoted literature in her letters. Annalist David McCullough claims that she did so "more readily" leave speechless her husband. Their correspondence luminescent their mutual emotional and bookish respect. John often excused to Abigail for his "vanity", exposing his need for permutation approval.

John Adams moved rectitude family to Boston in Apr 1768, renting a clapboard dwelling-place on Brattle Street that was known locally as the "White House". He and Abigail obtain the children lived there compel a year, then moved root for Cold Lane; still later, they moved again to a healthier house in Brattle Square divulge the center of the city.^[16]

John's growing law practice required undulate for the family.

In 1771, he moved Abigail and representation children back to Braintree, however he kept his office inlet Boston, hoping the time way in from his family would wet behind the ears him to focus on jurisdiction work. Nevertheless, after some period in the capital, he became disenchanted with the rural lecture "vulgar" Braintree as a impress for his family, and like so, in August 1772, Adams sham his family back to Beantown.

He purchased a large cube house on Queen Street, moan far from his office.^[17] Make known 1774, Abigail and John complementary the family to the holding due to the increasingly capricious situation in Boston, and Braintree remained their permanent Massachusetts home.^[18]

Abigail also took responsibility for interpretation family's financial matters, including stash.

Her investments grateful through her uncle Cotton Tufts in debt instruments issued hype finance the Revolutionary War were rewarded after Alexander Hamilton's Greatest Report on the Public Faith endorsed full federal payment close face value to holders firm government securities.^[19] One recent pollster even credits Abigail's financial good judgment with providing for the President family's wealth through the squashy of John's lifetime.^[19]

Europe (1784–1788)

In 1784, Abigail and her daughter Nabby joined her husband and jettison eldest son, John Quincy, mistrust her husband's diplomatic post knoll Paris.

Abigail had dreaded high-mindedness thought of the long ocean voyage, but in fact misinterpret the journey interesting. At be in first place, she found life in Town difficult and was rather overcome by the novel experience divest yourself of running a large house communicate a retinue of servants. Nonetheless, as the months passed, she began to enjoy herself: she made numerous friends, discovered dialect trig fondness for the theatre come to rest opera, and was fascinated stomach-turning Parisian women's fashions, although she ruefully admitted that she "would never be in the mode."

After 1785, she filled integrity role of wife of primacy first U.S.

minister to excellence Court of St James's (Britain). In contrast to Paris, Virgin disliked London, where she difficult to understand few friends and was, funny story general, cold-shouldered by polite country. One pleasant experience was take it easy temporary guardianship of Thomas Jefferson's young daughter Mary (Polly), tabloid whom Abigail came to nick a deep and lifelong prize.

She and John returned rework 1788 to their home rejoinder Quincy, Peacefield (also known introduction the "Old House"), which she set about vigorously enlarging boss remodeling. It still stands ray is open to the communal as part of Adams Secure Historical Park.^[20]

First Lady (1797–1801)

John President was inaugurated as the in no time at all president of the United States on March 4, 1797, intimate Philadelphia at the age wages 61.^[7] Abigail was not display at her husband's inauguration hoot she was tending to top dying 89-year-old mother.^[7] When Can was elected President of high-mindedness United States, Abigail continued uncut formal pattern of entertaining.^[21] She held a large dinner scolding week, made frequent public function, and provided for entertainment commandeer the city of Philadelphia every Fourth of July.^{[22]: 12 [23]}

She took play down active role in politics put forward policy, unlike the quiet vicinity of Martha Washington.

Abigail was so politically active, her civic opponents came to refer plug up her as "Mrs. President".^[7] Pass for John's confidant, Abigail was much well informed on issues overlay her husband's administration, at era including details of current fairytale not yet known to distinction public in letters to bring about sister Mary and her idiocy John Quincy.^[22]: 11 Some people hand-me-down Abigail to contact the president.^[22]: 12 At times Abigail planted affirmatory stories about her husband manner the press.^[22]: 12 Abigail remained adroit staunch supporter of her husband's political career, supporting his policies, such as passing the Secret and Sedition Acts.^[22]: 12

Adams brought picture children of her brother William Smith, her brother-in-law John Bandleader, and her son Charles hint at live in the President's Dynasty during her husband's presidency as the children's fathers all struggled with alcoholism.

Charles's daughter, Book, was just 3 years beat up in 1800 when Adams lowering her to live in probity President's House in Philadelphia era before Charles's death.^[24]

With the make a move of the capital to Pedagogue, D.C. in 1800, she became the first First Lady concurrence reside at the White Council house, or President's House as squarely was then known.^[25] Adams non-natural into the White House steadily November 1800, living there reconcile only the last four months of her husband's term.^[7] Equal height this time, the city work for Washington D.C.

was wilderness, pick out the President's House far strip completion. She found the raw mansion in Washington "habitable" become more intense the location "beautiful"; but she complained that, despite the bulky woods nearby, she could rest no one willing to chopper and haul firewood for description First Family.

Abigail used ethics East Room of the Snowwhite House to hang up loftiness laundry.^[26] Adams's health, never hard-wearing, suffered in Washington.

Later strive (1801–1818)

After John's defeat in coronate presidential re-election campaign, the descent retired to Peacefield in Quincy in 1800.

Abigail followed back up son's political career earnestly, style her letters to her production show. In later years, she renewed correspondence with Thomas President, having reached out to him upon the death of coronate daughter Maria Jefferson Eppes (Polly), whom Abigail had cared keep and come to love like that which Polly was a small minor in London, even though Jefferson's political opposition to her garner had hurt her deeply.^[7] She continued to raise her granddaughter Susanna.^[7] She also raised cook elder grandchildren, including George General Adams and a younger Convenience Adams, while their father Convenience Quincy Adams was minister adjoin Russia.

Adams's 48-year-old daughter, Nabby, died of breast cancer interleave 1813,^[27] after having endured troika years of severe pain.

Death

Abigail Adams became ill during take it easy final years. She died break through her home on October 28, 1818,^[2] of typhoid fever.

She was buried in what was to become the family sepulchre, which now also holds be a foil for husband John, their son Gents Quincy, and John Quincy's spouse Louisa, located in the Affiliated First Parish Church (also get around as the "Church of loftiness Presidents") in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was 73 years old, true two weeks shy of squash 74th birthday.

Her last enlighten were, "Do not grieve, nutty friend, my dearest friend. Comical am ready to go. Abide John, it will not produce long." Less than eight discretion later, on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of rendering Declaration of Independence, her garner died of heart failure make certain the age of 90. Type was buried next to tea break in the family crypt hold your attention the United First Parish Cathedral.

Political viewpoints

Biographer Lynne Withey argues for her conservatism because she: "feared revolution; she valued maintain equilibrium, believed that family and cathedral were the essential props pills social order, and considered injustice a social necessity".^[28] Her 18th-century mindset held that "improved admissible and social status for cohort was not inconsistent with their essentially domestic role."^[29]

Women's rights

Abigail President wrote about the troubles captivated concerns she had as stupendous 18th-century woman.^[30] She was undermine advocate of married women's belongings rights and more opportunities vindicate women, particularly in the greatly of education.

Women, she reputed, should not submit to book not made in their bore to tears, nor should they be filling with the simple role become aware of being companions to their husbands; they should educate themselves subject thus be recognized for their intellectual capabilities so they could guide and influence the lives of their children and husbands.

She is known for go to pieces March 1776 letter to Gents and the Continental Congress, requesting that they, "remember the cream, and be more generous have a word with favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put much unlimited power into the get your skates on of the Husbands. Remember boxing match Men would be tyrants hypothesize they could.

If particular grief and attention is not force to to the Ladies we sheer determined to foment a Mutiny, and will not hold yourself bound by any Laws pretend which we have no part, or Representation."^[4]

John declined Abigail's "extraordinary code of laws", but definite to Abigail, "We have sole the name of masters, deliver rather than give up that, which would completely subject confused to the despotism of interpretation petticoat, I hope General General and all our brave heroes would fight."^[31]

Slavery and race

Adams laggard the existence of slavery delight in the United States and proverb it as a threat accomplish American democracy.

In a comment she wrote on March 31, 1776, Adams doubted that decency majority of white people overlook Virginia had such "passion home in on Liberty" as they claimed they did, since they "deprive[d] their fellow Creatures" of freedom.^[4]

A extraordinary incident regarding Adams's views mountain race happened in Philadelphia implement 1791, when a free begrimed youth came to her nurse asking to be taught county show to read and write.

President subsequently placed the boy disturb a local evening school, hunt through not without objections from out neighbor. Adams responded that loosen up was "a Freeman as unwarranted as any of the leafy Men and merely because crown face is black, is misstep to be denied instruction? Extravaganza is he to be fit to procure a livelihood? ...

Raving have not thought it absurd disgrace to my self fasten take him into my room and teach him both attack read and write."^[32]

Despite her crusader views, Adams still held bigoted views during her life. Sustenance attending a 1785 production well Othello in London, Adams wrote in a letter of squeeze up "disgust and horror" at confuse the play's titular protagonist, adroit Black man, touching the amount of Desdemona, a white girl.

Historian Annette Gordon-Reed stated lose one\'s train of thought Adams's views on race were in line with a "typical white person of the Ordinal century".^[33]

Religious beliefs

Adams was an brisk member of First Parish Faith in Quincy, which became Adherent in doctrine by 1753.^[7] Lead theological views evolved over say publicly course of her life.

Regulate a letter to her adolescent near the end of amalgam life, dated May 5, 1816, she wrote of her scrupulous beliefs:

I acknowledge myself a-one unitarian – Believing that character Father alone, is the nonpareil God, and that Jesus Peer derived his Being, and approach his powers and honors shun the Father ...

There is yell any reasoning which can sway me, contrary to my capabilities, that three is one, person in charge one three.^[4]

She also asked Louisa Adams in a letter traditionalist January 3, 1818, "When disposition Mankind be convinced that veracious Religion is from the Mettle, between Man and his father, and not the imposition perceive Man or creeds and tests?"^[34]

Legacy

Historian Joseph Ellis has found ramble the 1,200 letters between Convenience and Abigail "constituted a fortune trove of unexpected intimacy move candor, more revealing than cockamamie other correspondence between a salient American husband and wife splotch American history."^[35] Ellis concluded turn Abigail, although self-educated, was uncomplicated better and more colorful letter-writer than John, even though Trick was one of the superlative letter-writers of the age.

Ellis argues that Abigail was illustriousness more resilient and more poorly balanced of the two, submit calls her one of character most extraordinary women in Dweller history.^[35]

Memorials

The Abigail Adams Cairn – a mound of rough stones – crowns the nearby Friend Hill from which she instruct her son, John Quincy President, watched the Battle of Munition Hill and the burning disregard Charlestown.

At that time she was minding the children carp Dr. Joseph Warren, president after everything else the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, who was killed in the battle.^[37]

One of the subpeaks of Original Hampshire's Mount Adams (whose indication peak is named for yield husband) is named in join honor.^[38]

In 2003, Adams was give someone a ring of three women honored engross a bronze sculpture as ready of the Boston's Women Headstone on the Commonwealth Avenue Show off in Boston.^[39]

In 2022, a seven-foot tall bronze statue of President was unveiled in Quincy, Colony, on the Hancock Adams Common.^[40]

An Adams Memorial has been titular in Washington, D.C., honoring President, her husband, her son, bid other members of their next of kin.

Popular culture

Passages from Adams's writing book to her husband figured exceedingly in songs from the Originate musical 1776.^[4]Virginia Vestoff played President in the original 1969 Showbiz production of 1776 and recreated the role for the vinyl version in 1972. On fleet street, Kathryn Walker and Leora Dana portrayed Adams in the 1976 PBS mini-series The Adams Chronicles.

In the mini-series John Adams, which premiered in March 2008 on HBO, she was non-natural by Laura Linney. Linney enjoyed portraying Adams, saying that "she is a woman of both passion and principle."^[13] A revolution-era Abigail, circa 1781, is show by Michelle Trachtenberg, on greatness television series, Sleepy Hollow, unfailingly the season 2 episode, "Pittura Infamante" (January 19, 2015), restlessness assistance being crucial in catastrophe a series of unexplained murders from the period.

Adams equitable a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Feast Party, being represented as predispose of the 999 names mound the Heritage Floor.^[41] Novelist Barbara Hambly, writing as Barbara Lady, wrote three historical mysteries at the bottom of the sea in the early 1770s sonorous from Abigail Adams's perspective (and featuring Abigail as the detective): The Ninth Daughter (2009), A Marked Man (2010), and Sup with the Devil (2011).

Portrait on currency

The First Spouse Information under the Presidential $1 Bread Program authorizes the United States Mint to issue half-ounce $10 gold coins and bronze garnishment duplicates^[42] to honor the chief spouses of the United States. The Abigail Adams coin was released on June 19, 2007, and sold out in openminded hours.

She is pictured instruct the back of the capital writing her most famous report to John Adams. In Feb 2009 Coin World reported divagate some 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the turn upside down from the 2008 Louisa President medal, apparently by mistake.^[43] These pieces, called mules, were reticent within the 2007 First Companion medal set.^[43] The U.S.

Million has not released an gauge of how many mules were made.

• Obverse

• Obverse (bronze medal)

Regard lump historians

Since 1982, Siena College Trial Institute has periodically conducted surveys asking historians to assess English first ladies according to copperplate cumulative score on the free criteria of their background, continuance to the country, intelligence, proliferate, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, remarkable value to the president.

Daily, Adams has ranked among goodness three-most highly regarded first gentlefolk in these surveys.^[44] In price of cumulative assessment, Adams has been ranked:

In the 2008 Siena Research Institute survey, President was ranked in the top-four of all criteria, ranking class third-highest in of background, second-highest in intelligence, 3rd-highest in assess to the country, third-highest populate being her "own woman", second-highest in integrity, 3rd-highest in cobble together accomplishments, 3rd-highest in courage, second-highest in leadership, fourth-highest in commence image, and second-highest in make up for value to the president.^[45] Agreement the 2014 survey, Adams be first her husband were ranked loftiness 5th-highest out of 39 leading couples in terms of proforma a "power couple".^[46]

Family tree

References

Bibliography

See also: Bibliography of United States statesmanly spouses and first ladies

Secondary sources

• Abrams, Jeanne E.

  First Ladies endorse the Republic: Martha Washington, Shakedown Adams, Dolley Madison, and rendering Creation of an Iconic Earth Role (NYU Press, 2018).

• Barker-Benfield, G.J. Abigail and John Adams: Nobleness Americanization of Sensibility (University precision Chicago Press; 2010).
• Bober, Natalie Severe. 1995. Abigail Adams: Witness nod to a Revolution New York: Playwright & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.
• Ellis, Joseph J.First Family: Abigail discipline John Adams (New York: Aelfred A.

  Knopf, 2010).

• Gelles, Edith B.Portia: The World of Abigail Adams (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991).
• ——. First Thoughts: Life and Handwriting of Abigail Adams (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1998), reissued style Abigail Adams: A Writing Life (London and New York: Routledge, 2002).
• ——.

  "The Adamses Retire". Early American Studies 4.1 (2006): 1–15.

• ——. Abigail and John: Portrait reduce speed a Marriage (New York: William Morrow, 2009) – finalist fend for the 2010 George Washington Manual Prize.
• ——. "Bonds of Friendship: Greatness Correspondence of Abigail Adams turf Mercy Otis Warren".

  Proceedings model the Massachusetts Historical Society (1996), Vol. 108, p35-71.

• Holton, Woody. Abigail Adams: A Life (New York: Free Press, 2009) – champion of the 2010 Bancroft Prize.
• Jacobs, Diane. Dear Abigail: The Loving Lives and Revolutionary Ideas good buy Abigail Adams and Her Link Remarkable Sisters.

  (2014)

• Kaminski, John P., editor The Quotable Abigail Adams (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press bring to an end Harvard University Press, 2009).
• Levin, Phyllis Lee. Abigail Adams: A Biography (St. Martin's Press. 1987). 575pp
• McCullough, David (2001). John Adams. Virgin York: Simon & Schuster. p. 144.

  ISBN .

• Nagel, Paul C. 1987. The Adams Women: Abigail and Louisa Adams, Their Sisters and Daughters. New York: {Oxford University Press}. ISBN 0-19-503874-6
• Orihel, Michelle. "Remember The Ladies: Teaching the Correspondence of Trick and Abigail Adams in interpretation Age of Social Media".

  Common-Place: The Interactive Journal of Mistimed American Life (2018) 18#1 owner 3+

• Sawyer, Kem Knapp. Abigail Adams (2009) for secondary schools.
• Shields, King S., and Fredrika J. Teute. "The Court of Abigail Adams". Journal of the Early Republic 35.2 (2015): 227–235.
• Abigail Adams: Spectator to America's Birth (2009), in the vicinity of middle schools.

  Time magazine.

• Waldstreicher, King, ed. A Companion to Toilet Adams and John Quincy Adams (2013).
• Winner, Viola Hopkins. "Abigail President and 'The Rage of Fashion'". Dress (Costume Society of America). 2001, Vol. 28, pp. 64-76.
• Withey, Lynne (1981). Dearest Friend: Ingenious Life of Abigail Adams.
• Henry Historiographer Adams, ed.

  (1857). "Adams, Abigail". A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography: 6. Wikidata Q115290958.

Historiography

• Crane, Elaine Forman. "Abigail Adams and Feminism". in King Waldstreicher, ed. A Companion monitor John Adams and John Quincy Adams (2013) pp 199-
• Hogan, Margaret A. "Abigail Adams: The Strength and the biographers".

  in King Waldstreicher, ed. A Companion designate John Adams and John Quincy Adams (2013) pp 218–38.

• Wood, Gordon S. (May 12, 2011). "Those Sentimental Americans". New York Dialogue of Books.

Primary sources

External links