Abigail Adams, born in Massachusetts in 1744, has always been one of the most important personalities of early American history. Despite being the wife of the second President of the United States, John Adams, Abigail always had her own spotlight.
Abigail was a humanitarian, activist, and female leader of her time. She enchanted both men and women with her superior intellect and social abilities. Before and after the American Revolution, Abigail fought for women’s equality, she believed that women had the right to be included in the newborn country’s life, and she also wanted young girls to be educated.
In a period of time in which women were not able to own anything, in her will she left all her belongings to the women of her family.
Her acute intellect was never overlooked, and her first admirer was her husband. John Adams relied a lot on her, asking her for her advice on important matters while being a delegate of the Continental Congress and during his presidency. Abigail Adams has always been John’s advisor and he was never afraid to hide his admiration for his wife. People admired her so much that they called her Mrs. President and acknowledged her part in John Adams’ policies and thoughts.
Husband and wife exchanged many letters, here Abigail usually reprimanded John for not doing enough for young women. Amongst the most famous letters, there was a correspondence dated 31st of March 1776, in which Abigail told her husband and other members of congress to not forget about the ladies. In this letter, she reminds men that women are essential players as well, and that power should not be hold only by men:
“I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the 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.”
Years before the Suffragettes and their cry for equality, Abigail Adams was fighting for women’s rights and was not afraid of reminding men that women had the power to raise a revolution of their own.
Before being the mother and wife of an US President, Abigail was one of the most ardent advocates for women’s rights.
Americans will always remember her as the first woman who fought for gender equality and women’s education.
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