Abigail Adams's advocacy for women's rights and abolition

Abigail Adams

What types of causes/issues did Abigail Adams address?

Abigail Adams was one of the most documented First Ladies in history. One of the primary reasons that she was the target of such documentation was that she was highly involved in her husband's role as president. In fact, she was commonly referred to as "Mrs. President" because John Adams would confide in her frequently to get her opinion on various issues he was dealing with. By contrast, Martha Washington, the first Lady, was not deeply engaged in the political process by any means. However, Abigail fought for women's rights and was strongly opposed to slavery, She believed that women should be allowed property rights and should have more opportunities in education and other fields. She believed that slavery was inherently evil and posed a threat to the future of the United States and the democracy that it was trying to build.

3. Why do YOU think Abigail Adams is instrumental in (American) history?

There are a variety of reasons that Abigail Adams was influential in her life. One of the primary reasons has to be her level of involvement with her husband and in politics in general; at least indirectly. Furthermore, she was a progressive figure that tried to foster changes in the country as she saw fit. Many of her beliefs were beyond what the mainstream beliefs deemed as acceptable. However, she was highly educated as well as intelligent and this provided her the background for a high level of critical thinking on a range of topics.

4. What is something she said or wrote in a letter that YOU thought was important?

One thing Abigail said when she was nearing the end of her life was that you should not speak unkindly of anyone but "to say all the handsome things she could of Persons but not Evil -- and to make things rather than Persons the Subjects of Conversation" (Withey, 2002). I thought this was a really good tidbit to remember. It is too often that people focus others negative qualities than their positive ones. Although this might make for better gossip, the better position is to prevent yourself from falling into that trap.