Abigail Adams Research Paper

Abigail Adams

Remembered as an advocate of women’s rights and the wife and mother of a president, Abigail Adams, was born on November 11, 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Her primary source of education was her father, Reverend William Smith. She grew up love for reading and corresponding with her family and friends. Abigail never had a job growing up, but as an adult she managed the household finances and farm with her husband, John, and advised him. On July 14, 1765, she became a mother. She had five children in seven years. Her first son, John Quincy Adams, would later become the sixth president of the United States.

Abigail (Smith) married John Adams in 1764 at the age of nineteen. In 1797 he was elected as the 2nd president of the United

Abigail also had her father’s library at her dispense and read many books from it. He helped her immensely by educating her. Mercy Otis Warren was another person who helped her. About Mercy, Thomas Jefferson said, “I have long possessed evidence of her high station in the ranks of genius.” Abigail was among her group of friends, as was the first First Lady, Martha Washington. Abigail wrote her a letter, asking for Mercy to petition Congress (with Abigail), plus request that Congress establish laws that favor women. When she didn’t get a reply from Mercy, she sent more letters to John Adams. They had a similar theme as the one to Mercy. In one letter she declared that “whilst you are proclaiming peace and good will to men, emancipating all nations, you insist upon retaining an absolute power over wives.” John then forwarded this letter to Brigadier General Joseph Palmer, evidence that he at least considered her advice. She was a very outspoken and opinionated woman whom political rivals called “Mrs. President”. Society did not view women as equal to men, but her ideas and words helped them eventually develop laws giving women rights, as she asked for numerous