ABIGAIL ADAMS (1744-1818)
Founding Mother, Feminist, Prolific Letter-Writer
“ Remember the ladies in your new Code of Law.” A. Adams
As we celebrate our 250th anniversary of independence, it’s only fitting to highlight one of our Founding Mothers. Once you learn more about Abby, you’ll understand why there are numerous statues scattered throughout the country and why President once said, “Abigail Adams would’ve been a better president than her husband”. Ouch.
Let’s see what made her tick. Abigail wed her husband, John Adams, when she was 18 while he was a young lawyer. Abigail was raised and educated by a progressive minister and his wife who both believed that a woman should read widely. Perhaps that’s why Abigail fell easily into the role of “unofficial advisor” to her husband, even after he became President of the United states. Some even went as far as calling her “Mr. President.” A Harvard law professor is quoted as saying, “You cannot understand John without understanding Abby.”
So what’s to understand? As the wife of the second US president, and mother of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams, there’s lots to unpack. She was the mother of six children but four only made it to adulthood. According to records, losing two children almost broke her but resilience not only helped her grieve but paved a way for her to find her voice. And what a voice she had.
Most of the insights we have about Abby are in the form of 1,000 letters she wrote to her husband, John, while diplomatic missions for the Continental Congress kept him away. In one of her most famous correspondences, she wrote:
“Remember the ladies in your new Code of Laws. Do not put unlimited power in the hands of the husbands. All men can be tyrants. Pay attention to the ladies- we will not hold ourselves bound by any laws that do not give us representation. No representation, no voice.”
All men can be tyrants. WOW! Can you imagine his face when he read her letter? Just to put this kind of overt feminism into perspective – we’re still in the 1700’s here – when Women obeyed their husband and remained quiet, even if they disagreed with them. And disagree they did, on top such as immigration, France, and the XYZ affair. We don’t know that when Abby wrote the letters, she had any idea that hundreds of years later, these letters would fall into the public domain, but still- most woman didn’t even have those kinds of matriarchal thoughts. I like to think it was because she was well read. I can just see her wearing this logo on her nightshirt, “A well-read woman is a dangerous thing.” To men, that is. Except Abby had the president in her bed and the other founding fathers on speed dial (ok, maybe not that ) but it was common knowledge she and Thomas Jefferson shared a decades long platonic relationship based on their mutual love of intellectual freedom.
Numerous statues of Abigail can be found through the country. One of them places her on Quincy Hancock Commons in from of Quincy City Hall. The bronze statute, sculpted by Sergey Eylanbekov placed a quill in one hand, a letter in the other, a table beside her that hold an inkwell. She’s positioned as to appear that she’s looking toward her husband, whose statue is nearby. One of my favorite statues of her is where she’s standing alongside her son, John Quincy Adams future President of The United States, when he was ten. Another statue of Abby can be found with two other founding mothers in the Commonwealth Ave Mall. This time she’s standing next to Lucy Stone and Phillis Whatley (look them up, they’re remarkable in their own right.)
Numerous books have been written about Abigail Adams, most of them detail the thousands of letters that she’s written. There’s also few picture books, a miniseries based on her and John (John Adams, 2008) and in the play, 1776, her role in the revolution is highlighted. There’s more about her and John but there is not one standalone biopic. Actors, directors, producers, screenwriters ,are you listening? Abby deserves her own star-studded biopic. Nicole Kidman, drop everything and greenlight project.
Abigail Adams was a woman who spoke her mind. Luckily for the floundering country, people were listening. They didn’t always like what she said, but bygone, she was heard. We should all take a page from her life- write, blog, post, make a podcast or a Substack- do what you can to get the word out.
Women are coming! 2028 is our year. Thanks, Abby.