Abigail Adams Essay

Why Is Abigail Adams Important
Abigail Adams
By: Abby sieben
Block: 7
Did you know the second First Lady of the US? It's Abigail Adams, John Adam's wife. Abigail
Adams was born on November 22, 1744 in North Parish Church in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She
died on October 28, 1818. Abigail Adams had an interesting life, you will learn aboutAbigail Adams
childhood, how she impacted the world, and other interesting facts.
This paragraph will be about Abigail Adam's family and childhood. Abigail's family includes, her
mom Elizabeth, her dad William, her sister Mary, her sister Elizabeth, and her brother William.
Back when Abigail was a little girl, girls did not get a good education so Abigail went to her dad's
library to learn more. She got married at age 19 to John Adams on October 25, 1764,...show more
content...
When her husband John Adams became president she became the second First Lady of the United
States. During the Revolutionary War she wrote letters to her husband about women's rights. Also
during the war she allowed soldiers to hide in her house, train in her yard, and she also melted
utensils to make musket balls for the soldiers.
This paragraph will be about interesting facts on Abigail Adams.
Her husband John Adams was a friend of Abigail's sister Mary's fiancГ©. In 1783, Abigail took her
daughter Nabby to Paris to meet up with John Adams, soon the Adams packed up and moved to
London to meet the King of England. It is believed that the couple exchanged over 1,100 letters.
I learned some really interesting information while researching this biography. I can conclude that
Abigail was a really great person. I was able to learn about how girls were treated and compare to
how they are treated now. Also how some people helped the soldiers fighting for our country during
the war. Lastly, a quote by Abigail Adams, "Deliver me from your phlegmatic, politicians, friends,
lovers, and
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Abigail Adams
Before the Revolution the life of an American woman consisted of "women's work" as it was called
then. Which was taking care of household chores, cooking food for the men, and caring for the
children. The man was considered the head of the household or the master. Men were above women
they had no household authority. After the revolution things started to change and women used this
time to gain power in the household, and marriages became known as Companionate marriages.
Which were more intellectual and led to more affection and shared authority. Abigail Adams was
and intellectual partner for her husband by assisting him in making decisions, Benjamin Rush
believed in the education of women. Lucy Knox was for sharing the authority in relationships. The
Cadwalader portrait illustrates the affection. Abigail Adams was an intellectual partner for her
husband and kind of an advisor to her husband, former President John Adams. "he relied on her
advice more than on members of his cabinet" (Foner 210). She helped to keep him informed and
advised him on political matters. In her...show more content...
She also tells him that although he has been "long accustomed to command" (Lucy Knox Letter) he
shouldn't think of himself "as commander in chief... that there is such a thing as equal command"
(Lucy Knox letter). She stands her ground in this letter letting him know that he will not be the only
one in control, that she too is a head of that household. The Cadwalader portrait illustrates the
Companionate marriage, that is based on affection instead of men being in charge. The portrait shows
John interacting with his child and wife. The revolution gave women more power in the household
with the men being gone. The women took the idea of shared authority and created more power for
women then and it was just the beginning of what power future generations of women could

Abigail Adams Thesis Statement
Abigail Adams played a very prestigious role in the history of the United States of America, as she
was the wife of John Adams, the 6th president of the United States. She also played an important
role in the society of women and their rights as residents of our country. But let's go back to the
beginning of her story––the very beginning. It all began when Abigail was born on November 11th,
1744, as the daughter of a minister. This was before she had the last name of Adams; her maiden
name was Abigail Smith. She grew up with her mother and father, Elizabeth Smith and William
Quincy Smith, in Weymouth,Massachusetts. As a child, she was very sickly, so her parents did not
put her through formal schooling. Instead, they homeschooled her where they taught her how to
read and write. She grew to be a very open–minded and well–read young lady who had a deep
passion for books. When she turned 15, she met an older man by the name of John Adams, who was
27. They were actually 3rd cousins, but they fell into a love so deep that they decided to marry.
They married on October 25th, 1764, when she was 19 and he was 30. This brought the two into
adulthood, into a life that required a lot more work and included several bumps in throughout
journey. By this time, they lived together, still in Massachusetts, but John's job as a politician kept
him away from home quite often. They wrote letters back and forth constantly, reporting to each
other about current situations happening

Why Is Abigail Adams Important
Behind every great man, there is an even greater woman. Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams,
was an American first lady and supporter of the revolutionary movement. She served as an unofficial
advisor to John, as he cited her help in many decisions. Although it is little known, John and Abigail
were actually third cousins, having met as seventeen–year–olds at a family social gathering. When
she married John in 1765, they began the hard life of a long–distance relationship. Abigail Adams
was the leader of the family and managed all the immense household duties, all while maintaining a
poignant correspondence with her husband and being influential to this day.
One particularly memorable aspect of Abigail's relationship was the poignant and passionate
correspondence between Mr. and Mrs. Adams when they were separated. Over a period of many
years, they exchanged over one thousand letters. While John was in Europe, Abigail kept him
updated on how...show more content...
Adams' political work in the revolutionary movement, the spouses were often separated, leaving
Abigail to raise all five children on her own in addition to purchasing land and renting out to and
managing tenants. Abigail learned to single–handedly manage their home and estate while John was
out working the political and legal track.The fact that she was so self– sufficient served her well, as
this was the first of many separations during their fifty–nine–year long marriage. Abigail managing
the household allowed John to focus on his reformational work. Abigail educated all five children,
arranged smallpox vaccines for the whole house, managed all finances and ran all farm–related
manners. To protest tax acts from the British, Abigail wove and created clothing from all her own
cloth. In one of their many letters, John jokingly chastised Abagail for working so hard. While this
may be the norm now, a woman managing a household was unthinkable in the past. Abigail broke
down all these walls and norms in many

Abigail Adams Research Paper
Abigail Adams was born in the 1744 and at the age of 19 married with John Adams, second
president of the United States. In their 54 years of marriage, they had five children. She was the
mother of "John Quincy Adams" 6th president of the United States. When her husband "John
Adams" served the country, she was looking after family back at home. Abigail was a good letter
writer at the time when women could not publish publications or newspapers. These letters are
pungent, amazing, bright, and became her outlet. They are composed as she spoke detail of her
life in times of revolution and reveal a window on 18th century of civic life. They demonstrate
Abigail's roles as wife, parent, friend and her social activities. She was a very strong defender

Abigail Adams Sparknotes
Abigail Adams was a wise and educated woman that had one wonderful but challenging life. Like
any other women in the 1700s, she grew up to become someone's wife, bear children and live in
the private life of her husband's house. Abigail has a slightly different story than other women
though. She grew up with her sisters and brother and had a tutor so they became literate, which
was not a thing for women. Educated men didn't want a wife that was smart, they wanted someone
to take care of them and the children and just about nothing else. In the following paragraphs we
will talk about who the author is, a back story of who Abigail is, and the thesis of the book as a
whole.
The author of this book, Charles W. Aker, was born in Indianapolis, April 2, 1920 to Ira and Mary
Bird Akers. He was a US Navy vet and served in World War II in 1942 to 1946. After he fought in
WWII he became a history teacher at the Eastern Nazarene College in 1948 then became the
Director of Quincy Junior College in 1959. He then taught at Geneva College in Pennsylvania
after which he went to Oakland University in 1966 and was appointed as chair of the history
department in 1968. As well as being a teacher, he was also a member of many societies like the
Colonial Society of Massachusetts and the American Historical Association just to name a few.
Charles was a very well established author in his time and died February 1, 2009. https:/
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_W._Akers Abigail Adams was not just the

Abigail Adams Persuasion Essay
Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams, was the major supporter
and driver of the men in her family. On January 12th of 1780, A. Adams wrote to her dear son
J.Q. Adams, explaining why she implored him to travel to France with his father. As his mother,
she had confidence that she knew best and it was her obligation to influence her son's decision. A.
Adams uses persuasion and logic to advise her son that his voyage to France with his father will
be worthwhile. Abigail Adams seems to be distraught at the fact that she compelled her son to
travel to France with his father. According to her, her choice to require his travel was driven by the
fact that she did not have faith that her son was, "capable of judging what was most for [his] own
benefit." It is to be taken into consideration that J.Q. Adams was merely a thirteen year old youth.
Argument and persuasion seem to be her vital tools when...show more content...
During this time that A. Adams wrote to her son, the Revolutionary War was coming to an end,
and the Americans were the winners in the ring with their arms raised. With new nations, comes
new governments. This new nation needed an era of leaders that would mold this country into on
that would be appreciated and recognized by "ages yet unborn." With such parents that cared for
him and guided him to becoming the man that is beheld in his future, should it not be required that
he be one of the leaders of this new country? With a father as a diplomat and one of the current
leaders, it would be quite peculiar if J.Q. Adams did not possess the same morals, insights, and
qualities as his father. He must not be ignorant to the responsibilities and obligations granted to him,
regardless of his young age. His mother recognizes that and sends him on the trip to France to prime
him for this

Abigail Adams Letter Rhetorical Analysis
Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her reluctant son John Quincy Adams while he was off at sea to
visit France with his father in 1780. In her letter, the message that she wanted to transfer was
clear––she wanted to tell her son to not ruin the opportunity that was at stake. This type of letter
works for John because she knows he will obey his mother and do as she says. She uses rhetorical
methods to show her son that she knows what is best for him. John Quincy Adams had the
opportunity with his diplomatic father to visit France and gain a new opportunity. One of the
reasons she was able to get young Adams to respect and follow her opinion is because she knows
that she has an effect on him because she is his mother. This shows the ethos that is involved with
the letter. Abigail uses her maternal authority over John to encourage him not to fail at this
opportunity. She knows that he will respect her opinion on making him go to France because of the
roll she has in his life. A child knows that their mothers always has their best...show more content...
Even though he was reluctant about taking part in this trip, he agrees to go because he knows that
his mother knows more about what is best for him than he does for himself. She uses her maternal
tone to convey the message in a way that will compel him to do the right thing. All throughout the
letter, she uses certain words that convey her message while still using the tone that a mother uses
with her children. The tone can be used to reassure Adams and to tell Adams to not unsettle the
important ally. Overall, the letter Abigail Adams sent to her son was sent to tell him to not upset any
diplomatic relationship that was at stake on the trip. She achieves her message by using ethos,
comparisons, and a motherly tone. The message conveys clearly to her son, John Quincy Adams,
because he respects her motherly opinion and understands her allusions and

Summary Of Abigail Adams Letter To Her Son
On the twelfth of January 1780, Abigail Adams sent a letter to her son. In this letter, she speaks
of her son's second voyage to France with his father to sign the Treaty of Paris of 1783. She
wishes for him to represent not only their family but the United States in general. In addition to this
she also wishes for him to not only make her proud but himself proud. In the letter to her son, John
Q. Adams, Abigail Adams reminds him that he has advantages in life and to use them to br the best
person he can be using encouraging diction, allusion, and metaphor. In the first couple of paragraphs,
she utilizes a didactic tone to talk to him about ehy she urged him to go even though he seemed
reluctant to go with his father. She states this in "If I had thought your reluctance arose from proper
deliberation... I should not have urged you to accompany your father..." She also doesnt...show more
content...
In this anecdote, the author uses two metaphors. He "... compares a judicious traveller to a river,
that increases its stream the further it flows from its source; or to certain springs, which, running
through rich veins of 20 minerals,improve their qualities as they pass along." These metaphors
describe the symbolism of a river perfectly, as it continues it grows more and more as it picks up
more and more minerals. Mrs. Adams uses these metaphors to tell her son that as life passes by he
will pick up more and more knowledge, thus giving him more advantages. She also later stokes her
ego when saying that it is expected that he do well because he had "...the instructive eye of a tender
parent..." These metaphors show that she expects a lot out of him and that she wants him to make he
proud, this shows a blending of the encouraging, supportive tone and the didactic tone that she, and
every other mother, seems to love to use in order to manipulate her son to do what she

Abigail Adams Summary
Abigail Adams Book worm, nerd, library enthusiast, educationally driven, and one of the most
renown female letter writers of our history. Believe it or not, these are but a few of the things
Abigail Adams was known for. "We have too many high–sounding words, and too few actions that
correspond with them." Oh, and how Abigail superlatively lived up to this statement. As we truffle
through this journey of a real example of a revolutionary woman, we will be covering the expected
roles of a woman during the Colonial and Revolutionary era, how Abigail lived up to these
expected roles, how she defied them, and finally, we will delve even deeper into how the creation of
a new republic affected Abigail's beliefs on the roles of women.
On page four, of chapter one, it states that. "In a society where marriage and motherhood were the
chief functions of every female." (Pg. 4.) Firstly, this statement gives us great insight on the one of
the many expected roles of any and every female during the Colonial and Revolutionary era.
Succeeding, Abigail further lived up to this specific role in marrying John Adams, who was the
second President of the United States. In doing so, they had five wonderful children, in which
Abigail stepped forward and humbly took care of while her husband was away. Abigail, had no
preceding issues with this role of a woman, if anything she encompassed its geniality. Secondly,
another one of the expected roles of a woman was, "The traditional assumption that a

Rhetorical Analysis Of Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams is the wife of the second president of the United States of America and the mother to
the sixth President of the United States of America, John Quincy Adams. She and her family are
living in important times in American history and she has a very clear understanding of that. When
she writes to her son, John Quincy Adams, she is trying to impart that message of, pay attention; all
of this turbulence and turmoil is going to shape you even if you don't know it yet. Mrs. Adams
uses the rhetorical devices tone, appeal to logic, and imagery, to impart this message to her son.
Adams' tone is very evident in the letter to her son, her tone is authoritative. She is not scolding
her son in her letter, but it is not a speaking lightly. This is shown in the first paragraph of Adams'
letter, particularly lines three through eight. "If I had thought your reluctance arose from proper
deliberation, or that you were capable of judging what was for your own benefit, I should not
have urged you to accompany your father and brother when you appeared so averse to the
voyage". Adams is basically saying, if I thought you actually had a reason not to go and that you
were mature enough to decide, I would not have made you go. Her tone is similarly shown in lines
twenty–one through twenty–six, when she discusses how her son only needs to apply himself and
given his other advantages in life, he will do well. Adams' authoritative tone makes her message
effective because she is

Abigail Adams Remember The Ladies Analysis
In the "Remember the Ladies" letter, a correspondence between Abigail Adams and her husband,
John Adams, she is writing her husband for the rights of women to not be forgotten. During the
American Revolution, a woman's place was at home with her family. A woman's job was to bear and
raise children, take care of a home, and be a wife. Women were considered just as much property as
slaves were property to their masters. Women, like Abigail Adams, began to question their role in an
unequal society.
On March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her husband,John Adams, to demand equality
for not just women but for all people of the Americas. Adams is referencing how men have treated
women and slaves. She questions how men can support freedom,

Abigail Adams Essays
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was and still is a hero and idle for many women in the United States. As the wife of
John Adams, Abigail used her position to bring forth her own strong federalist and strong feminist
views. Mrs. Adams was one of the earliest feminists and will always influence today's women.
Abigail Adams was born Abigail Smith in 1744 at Weymouth, Massachusetts. She was a descendent
of the Qunicys', a very prestigious family in the colonies, on her mothers' side. On her fathers' side
Abigail was a descendent of Congressional Ministers. During a time when women did not receive a
formal education, her grandmother at home taught Abigail. Her eagerness to learn and to read is
what created a bond between John Adams...show more content...
If perticular care and attention is not paid to the ladies we are determined to foment a rebellion, and
will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or representation."
The reaction of John Adams was less than satisfactory. He responded by telling Abigail that he had
laughed at her request. He called her letter saucy and told her he had more to deal with than the
request of women.
This angered Abigail and she wrote to Mercy Otis Warren on April 27, 1776:
"He is very saucy to me in return for a List of Female Grievances which I transmitted to him. I
think I will get you to join me in a petition to congress. I thought it was very probable our wise
statesmen would erect a new government and form a new code of laws. I ventured to speak a
word on behalf of our sex, who are rather hardly dealt with by the laws of England which gives such
unlimited power to the husband to use his wife."
"I believe I even threatened formenting a Rebellion in case we were not considered and assured
him we would not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we had neither a voice nor
representation."
This letter is a fine example of Abigail Adams' strong feminist and strong federalist views. These
letters represented the turmoil felt by women during the uncertain times facing the colonies. The
views of Abigail Adams became the first in a long line of cries out for women's equality.
The American Revolution may have won equal rights for

Abigail Adams Essay
Abigail Adams was a woman of high character and a loving soul. She was selfless in her thinking
and remarkable in the way she handled people. Her management skills were above average for the
normal female in the 1700s. She held many worldly interests that tied her to the political fashion of
society. She was well cultured and was able to apply this to her role of a politician's wife with great
attributes towards society. She became the "buffer" with regard to her husband's temper and lack of
diplomacy. She participated in many political activities. Her independent thinking, character,
faithfulness, and hard work gave her the ability to succeed in society in the 17th century. Even though
Abigail Adams was not formerly...show more content...
As a result, she lacked confidence in her education. She stated, "My early education did not partake
of the abundant opportunities which the present day affords and which even our common
schools now afford. I was never sent to any school; I was always sick." Even though she did not
attend a formal school it did not put her out of reach of a proper education (Peterson, 9). Abigail
Adams learned how to read and write at home by her father, mother, and maternal grandmother,
whom she adored. Her mother contributed to most of her education along with her sisters, during
their younger years. Because her mother had a limited amount of education, Abigail taught herself
to read (Holton, 6). When Abigail learned to read she couldn't stop reading. Her father had many
books at home that he had collected throughout the years. She devoured as many as she could,
which lead her to be very well educated in many different areas. In the 1700s many girls unfaltering
read fiction for entertainment. However, Abigail did not have frivolous taste in books. The books
that she liked the most were Shakespeare, philosophy, theology, classical, ancient history, law, and
government. She even taught herself different languages (Holton, 6). She also enjoyed writing
letters to friends and family that lived far away, which was common amongst her peers. Her desire
for writing led

Abigail Adams: A Brief Biography
Abigail Adams was born on November 22, 1774. She was born a the North Parish Congregational
Church in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Her father was named Smith and her mother was named
Elizabeth. Because of her mothers side she was escended from the Quincy family. A Quincy family
is a well–known political family in the Massachusetts colony. Dorothy Quincy, wife of John
Hancock was her causin from her mothers side of the family.
She was a wife of John Adams and was the mother of her son John Quincy Adams. In about a ten
year period she had six children. Also, Abigail was the second first lady, even through that didn't
officially not used a the time. Her life was one of the most knowing first ladies. One of the ways
she is most known of

Essay On Abigail Adams
With the increase in popularity of the musical Hamilton: An American Musical, the stories of the
founding fathers are getting told. However, though there are a few females mentioned in the
musical, none of them made as much of an impact and deserve as much credit as Abigail Adams.
Born Abigail Smith in 1744, she grew up in Massachusetts with a decently wealthy family, which
resulted in the opportunity to obtain a good education. Though she was schooled at home, she read
all she could and took an interest in knowledge and politics early in her life, which only grew with
her marriage to John Adams (Martinez). With this marriage, she became involved in a great deal of
politics, and therefore had influence, which she most commonly used in her...show more content...
Abigail herself educated a free black boy, and even defended herself when she was attacked for it.
In a private defense of her actions to John Adams, she explains her reasoning for doing this,
saying: "The Boy is a Freeman as much as any of the young Men, and merely because his Face is
Black, is he to be denied instruction? How is he to be qualified to procure a livelihood? Is this the
Christian principle of doing to others, as we would have others do to us?" (Adams, Abigail 13
February 1797). This piece of the letter ensures two facts: that Abigail is an advocator for justice,
and that she is an advocator for Christianity. However, unlike many people at the time, her advocacy
for justice speaks much louder than her Christian advocacy.
One of Abigail's other main focuses was female empowerment, and not just through education: she
recognized the effectiveness of her own power around the home, and wanted other women to use
their potential as well. One of Abigail's most notable positions of power was her relationship not
only with her husband, John Adams, but also his presidential successor, Thomas Jefferson. Abigail
not only had relationships with both of them, but also served as a key witness to what life was like
in the colonies and out of congress, both domestically and politically (Adams, Abigail 1 July 1804).
She also used this position to speak out against

"Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants
if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies, we are determined to foment
a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or
representation" (C–SPAN First Ladies: Influence & Image). This is a quote fromAbigail Adams, one
of the most important first ladies of all times. She was not only the first lady to live in the White
House but she was also the mother of a president, her son John Quincy Adams. She has contributed
much influence on the country and is utterly distinct from other first ladies. Although she was not a
complete feminist she did believe in women's education, which was not common at the time, and
she also believed in protecting women's rights. Like most women at the time, she didn't get much of
a formal education, like the males, but a curiosity for education did spike in her. It states in C–SPAN
First Ladies that, her mother did indeed educate her at home. "Abigail was a delicate child, and
for that reason was never sent to school. Change of air was a favorite specific for health, and this
added to care for her education, was a basis of her variety of domicile" (Whitney 10). This was
one of the reason why she didn't go to school to get an education, because she was delicate with any
change of weather that can make her sick. She was like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, she was
fascinated with her

Abigail Adams Analysis
Abigail Adams "Being different simply means you have something unique to offer the world,"
(unknown). Standing out in the sea of ordinary people like a miraculous Island in an overflow of
water, Abigail Adams was very peculiar compared to other ladies and her time. But no one guessed
how her distinct ideas and thoughts would be the miracle women's rights with waiting for. She was
ahead of her time, even so, she was underestimated just because of her clashing nature to beliefs in
her day. Abigail Adam's various differences in her personality from other colonial women, affected
her rule to play vastly during the Revolutionary War and her influence ended up changing America's
virtue of equality and brought justice to many females. Abigail Adams acted divergently the most
females and therefore ended up supporting and doing her part to help the Patriots in the
Revolutionary War differently from most women. Abigail never feigned stupidity to get the
attention of any guy instead she depended on her brain, "Abigail was quite unlike the other woman
she was direct and unaffected she did not engage and coy flirtations and was not afraid to show her
intelligence," (Behrman 21–22) Abigail had different priorities in most lady she wanted to act
prudently instead of weak and proper. By being herself instead of covering up her smarts, which
was received as unattractive in women at that time Abigail displayed courage and even fell in love
because of her strong mind. She married a

Declaring Independence Assignment
1.What are some of the key ideas of the letters between John and Abigail Adams?
The first idea is to remember the ladies. She states that men should not be given all the power. If
the ladies are paid no attention it was bound to inspire a rebellion against this tyrant like behavior.
If women have no voice, they will not be happy. If men need the title of master women will act
differently than if they called themselves their wives' friend. All these ideas are voiced in the letter
she wrote. John expressed his ideas about women and how he thinks they should not vote in the new
government. Both made valid points.
Reactions, Connections, Thoughts, Feelings:
I feel John Adams was not considerate...show more content...
I was also taken aback to how she states; your sex (Males) is naturally tyrannical. This is a truth so
established that no one can dispute it. As far as John Adam's response, all I can do is laugh at how
he valued his manly hood more than his family or the more equal authority of women. Nowadays,
he would never have pulled this response. He would have to fight to keep the reputation of a man
versus a masculine pig. One connection is that in other revolutions after this the war things going on
disrupted and corrupted the rule or mastership people had over subjects or slaves.
3.What other groups, besides women, does John Adams claim are demanding more freedoms from
the government? What do these groups have in common with women? John Adams claimed that
children and apprentices grew disobedient, schools and colleges became restless, Indians ignored
elders, slaves grew disrespectful, and women grew discontent. All of these groups have no voice and
unequal treatment in common. A connection is that women could not vote until relatively recently.
That was man's claim on control of how things were run. I honestly am appalled at what came out
of his response as far as ,"subjection to the unfair rule of women." Hypocrisy at its finest there
because how do you think the women felt about subjection to the Despotism of the egotisticals?
Yeah, probably not that great.
4.How do you think Abigail Adams felt when she read her husband's letter?
I think

Abigail Adams Remember The Ladies Summary
Abigail Adams: "Remember the Ladies" Analysis: The Feminist Perspective Equality is a concept
that humanity fails to completely grasp even to this day. While the battles for racial equality have
been championed profusely, the fight for gender equality has hardly started. In contrast to their male
counterparts, women are seen as inferior and overly sexualized in many forms of entertainment such
as movies, novels, even classic literature; the "feminine" stereotype is associated with weakness,
fragility, and sensitivity. This is due to the sheer fact that since the birth of the United States as a
country, women were perceived and treated as the inferiors of men. Abigail Adams, the esteemed
wife of John Adams–one of our founding fathers and the...show more content...
Abigail Adams was very unique in behavior, which was quite uncommon to the 18th century: she
spoke her mind. Adams wrote to her husband, "I wish you would ever write me a Letter half as
long as I write you [...] I am willing to allow the Colony great merrit for having produced a
Washington but they have been shamefully duped by a Dunmore." In this era women were
expected to be meek and subservient to their husbands. Adams, however, contradicts the
stereotypical behavior of women by speaking to him as his equal, not his inferior. Adams
continues to opine, albeit accurately, about the nature of men, writing: "That your Sex are
Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute [...] Lawless to
use us with cruelty [...] Men of Sense in all Ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the
vassals of your Sex." Adams outright states she possesses a distaste for the treatment of women in
her era; she even goes so far as to say that intelligent men are disgusted with the customs which
restrict females as nothing more than birthing vessels. Abigail Adams is clearly able to express her
opinion concisely, but what is more remarkable is her strong spirit, her passion that is clearly
expressed in her letter. This

Abigail Adams Essay

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Abigail Adams Essay