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Emily Moya

Early American History

28 September 2017

Abigail Adams

Abigail Smith Adams was born on November 11th, 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts.

She is famous for being the first Second Lady and second First Lady of the white house. She was

the wife of John Adams, the second president of the United States and the mother of John

Quincy Adams, who later became the 6th President of the United States. Abigail was the

daughter of a minister and was a devoted reader. She studied the works of Shakespeare, Milton,

along with others. She did not go to school, which was not uncommon for girls during this

period. (biography.com)

She is remembered for the many letters of advice she had given her husband during the

Continental Congresses. (whitehouse.gov) Abigail became a very valued correspondent during

the wartime separation from her husband. She wrote letters to him, their children, relatives and

friends, providing windows of eighteenth-century life, both private and public. These writings

revealed her life as a mother, wife, and friend, through her domestic and social activities and her

opinions and observations. Her messages with her husband held a mix of personal messages,

local news, and political commentary. This way she was able to express her thoughts on the

subjection of married women and tell him how women should really be treated. It helped the

spreading cause of gender equality during the time. (history.com)

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She was a minor figure in the fight for womens rights, but she still made her points. She

did what she could to make her voice heard. Her letters will be remembered for their content.

She showed the world what it was like during the revolutionary war, in the normal everyday life,

the families of those off fighting, were living.

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Works Cited

Abigail Adams Biography thebiography.com. A&E Television Networks.

www.biography.com/people/abigail-adams-9175670?_escaped_fragment_=

- Gave a bit of in site on Abigail Adams life. Had quite a bit of information and helped
with many aspects of her life.

Abigail Smith Adams whitehouse.gov. The White House Historical Association.

Published 2009. www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies/abigailadams

- Gave pretty basic information. Quite a bit, but not quite enough to help on the paper.

Caroli, Betty Boyd. Abigail Smith: American First Lady britannica.com. Published 8
September 2017. www.britannica.com/biography/Abigail-Adams

- Repetative of most other pages, but had some decent information. Was useful in some
aspects but not as much as it could have been.

Foner, Eric and Garraty, John A. Abigail Adams history.com The Readers Companion
to American History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published 1991.
www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/abigail-adams

- Very little information. Only gives the basics of her life. Nothing much about her role in
history.