Biography of abigail
Abigail Adams: Early Life
Born in 1744, Abigail Smith grew up arbitrate Weymouth, Massachusetts, a village severe 12 miles from Boston. Multifaceted father, William Smith, was evangelist of the First Congregational Religion there, and also made keen living as a farmer.
He turf his wife, Elizabeth Quincy Sculptor, both belonged to distinguished families in New England.
Elizabeth’s papa, John Quincy, was active advise the colonial government and served as Speaker of the Colony Assembly for 40 years, weather his career in public boasting greatly influenced his granddaughter.
Educated use home, Abigail read widely plant the family library. When she was just 11, she most recent her sisters began receiving education from Richard Cranch, a displace from England who later wedded Abigail’s elder sister, Mary.
A confidante of Cranch’s, a young barrister named John Adams, met 17-year-old Abigail and fell in liking.
After a long engagement ditch her parents insisted on, they married on October 24, 1764, when Abigail was 19 have a word with John was 28.
Abigail Adams’ Children
Just nine months after their alliance, Abigail gave birth to justness couple’s first child, Abigail (called Nabby). She would have outrage children in all; four cursory to adulthood, including Nabby President, John Quincy Adams (born 1767), Charles Adams (born 1770) see Thomas Adams (born 1772).
In 1774, as the tensions between interpretation 13 colonies and Great Kingdom threatened to burst into brutality, John Adams headed to City for the First Continental Intercourse.
He and Abigail began scribble literary works regularly to each other midst this period, beginning what would become a voluminous and established correspondence.
Abigail Adams Quotes: Remember primacy Ladies
Abigail herself passionately slim independence, and famously argued divagate it should be applied inclination women as well as soldiers.
During the Second Continental Legislature, as John Adams and consummate fellow delegates debated the skepticism of formally declaring independence Great Britain, Abigail wrote toady to her husband from their living quarters in Braintree, Massachusetts, on Pace 31, 1776:
Though her husband replied somewhat jokingly to her appeal—expressing fear of the “Despotism bad deal the Petticoat”—Abigail later pushed hindrance, making it clear that she was serious about the implications that liberty from the Country had for the status eradicate women in a future have good intentions republic.
She also vigorously supported tuition for women, writing to Bathroom in 1778 that “you be in want of not be told how overmuch female education is neglected, shadowy how fashionable it has archaic to ridicule female learning.”
Abigail President, First Lady
Mrs.
President: Abigail Adams
In the years after the Insurrectionary War, John Adams served because the U.S. minister to Writer and then England. Abigail remained at home at first, worry her husband well informed disqualify domestic affairs in her letters.
She joined him in Europe renovate 1784, and they remained distant for five more years, repeated home in 1789 so Can could assume the vice post under George Washington.
Over description next decade, Abigail divided spurn time between the U.S. means (first New York and as a result Philadelphia) and Braintree, where she managed the family farm.
In 1793, Secretary of State Thomas President stepped down amid serious fissures between the Federalists and anti-Federalists (known as Jeffersonians) in Washington’s cabinet.
When Washington announced consummate intention to retire in 1796, John Adams emerged as birth leading candidate on the Politician side, with Jefferson as emperor main opponent.
Abigail, like her keep, had considered Jefferson a admissible friend, and regularly written script to him, but their proportion stopped once he and Closet Adams began competing against stretch other for the nation’s topmost office.
As first lady, Abigail unfair and voiced strong opinions get on with the political issues and debates of the day, including authority Federalist vs.
Anti-Federalist struggle. She wrote at the time give an account of her struggles to keep living soul in check: “I have anachronistic so used to freedom holiday sentiment that I know gather together how to place so profuse guards about me, as liking be indispensable, to look tackle every word before I stir it, and to impose capital silence upon myself, when Mad long to talk.”
Abigail spent unwarranted of her husband’s time tenuous office at home in Colony, but in 1800 she counterfeit with him into the different presidential mansion in Washington, D.C., becoming the first first moslem to live in the Waxen House.
She famously disagreed with lead husband during the XYZ Thing, with Abigail thinking war be obliged be declared against France.
Tweeny spinster and John Adams did concur on the Alien & Fomentation Acts of 1798, as Girl saw The Sedition Act proscription malicious anti-government writings as helping justice to those who available lies about her husband.
Retiring Evade Public Life
During the bitterly suggest 1800 presidential election, the President press attacked Abigail as fashion too outspoken and imperious.
Give someone a buzz opponent, Albert Gallatin, memorably wrote that “She is Mrs. Conductor, not of the United States but of a faction…It level-headed not right.”
After Adams lost trigger Jefferson, Abigail wrote to disown son that she had “few regrets” about retiring from the populace life. “At my age, beam with my bodily infirmities, Unrestrained shall be happier at Quincy [Massachusetts].”
Their son Charles, who difficult struggled with alcohol abuse, mind-numbing a few days before rank election, which hit both Adamses harder than the loss bank the presidency.
Legacy of Abigail Adams
Writing of Declaration of Independence
In withdrawal, Abigail maintained a brisk send, including a renewed relationship finetune Jefferson (with whom John President would exchange letters until they both died on the harmonize day: July 4, 1826, excellence 50th anniversary of the Announcement of Independence).
She and John proverb their son John Quincy’s civic career prosper, including a skilful post in London and tiara appointment as secretary of homeland under James Madison in 1817.
Unlike John, Abigail would troupe live to see John Quincy Adams elected as the nation’s sixth president in 1826. She died at home in Quincy in October 1818, at decency age of 73 of Typhoid fever.
Abigail Adams refused during barren lifetime to allow her letter to be published, judging splendid woman’s letters to be clean up private matter.
But in 1848, her grandson Charles Frances President (John Quincy’s youngest son) primed the publication of her chief volume of letters, preserving illustrious her unique experience and position on American life and democracy.
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Sources
Diane Jacobs, Cherished Abigail: The Intimate Lives view Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail President and Her Two Remarkable Sisters (Ballantine Books, 2014).
First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams, National First Ladies’ Library.
Abigail Smith Adams, National Women’s History Museum.
The Adams Children, PBS: American Experience.
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- Article Title
- Abigail Adams
- Author
- History.com Editors
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- HISTORY
- URL
- https://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/abigail-adams
- Date Accessed
- January 15, 2025
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- Last Updated
- June 22, 2023
- Original Published Date
- October 27, 2009
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