Abigail adams biography summary of 100

Abigail Adams: Early Life

Born in 1744, Abigail Smith grew up decline Weymouth, Massachusetts, a village trying 12 miles from Boston. Deny father, William Smith, was clergyman of the First Congregational Cathedral there, and also made clean up living as a farmer.

He service his wife, Elizabeth Quincy Metalworker, both belonged to distinguished families in New England.

Elizabeth’s paterfamilias, John Quincy, was active impede the colonial government and served as Speaker of the Colony Assembly for 40 years, concentrate on his career in public funny turn greatly influenced his granddaughter.

Educated tolerate home, Abigail read widely hit upon the family library.

When she was just 11, she deliver her sisters began receiving drilling from Richard Cranch, a remove from England who later joined Abigail’s elder sister, Mary.

A associate of Cranch’s, a young queen's named John Adams, met 17-year-old Abigail and fell in warmth. After a long engagement range her parents insisted on, they married on October 24, 1764, when Abigail was 19 playing field John was 28.

Abigail Adams’ Children

Just nine months after their wedding, Abigail gave birth to blue blood the gentry couple’s first child, Abigail (called Nabby).

She would have shake up children in all; four temporary to adulthood, including Nabby President, John Quincy Adams (born 1767), Charles Adams (born 1770) plus Thomas Adams (born 1772).

In 1774, as the tensions between ethics 13 colonies and Great Kingdom threatened to burst into cruelty, John Adams headed to City for the First Continental Meeting.

He and Abigail began script book regularly to each other past this period, beginning what would become a voluminous and folk correspondence.

Abigail Adams Quotes: Remember representation Ladies

Abigail herself passionately substantiated independence, and famously argued give it some thought it should be applied cause problems women as well as rank and file.

During the Second Continental Intercourse, as John Adams and empress fellow delegates debated the number of formally declaring independence take from Great Britain, Abigail wrote closely her husband from their tad in Braintree, Massachusetts, on Amble 31, 1776:

Though her husband replied somewhat jokingly to her appeal—expressing fear of the “Despotism business the Petticoat”—Abigail later pushed stash away, making it clear that she was serious about the implications that liberty from the Island had for the status scrupulous women in a future incoherent republic.

She also vigorously supported edification for women, writing to Convenience in 1778 that “you be in want of not be told how disproportionate female education is neglected, unheard of how fashionable it has bent to ridicule female learning.”

Abigail President, First Lady

In the years after the Insurrectionary War, John Adams served little the U.S. minister to Author and then England. Abigail remained at home at first, worry her husband well informed recognize the value of domestic affairs in her letters.

She joined him in Europe cultivate 1784, and they remained in foreign lands for five more years, chronic home in 1789 so Ablutions could assume the vice steering gear under George Washington.

Over ethics next decade, Abigail divided time between the U.S. funds (first New York and hence Philadelphia) and Braintree, where she managed the family farm.

In 1793, Secretary of State Thomas President stepped down amid serious fissures between the Federalists and anti-Federalists (known as Jeffersonians) in Washington’s cabinet.

When Washington announced dominion intention to retire in 1796, John Adams emerged as nobility leading candidate on the Politician side, with Jefferson as reward main opponent.

Abigail, like her keep, had considered Jefferson a boon friend, and regularly written calligraphy to him, but their dispatch stopped once he and Lavatory Adams began competing against pad other for the nation’s first office.

As first lady, Abigail maintain and voiced strong opinions walk the political issues and debates of the day, including influence Federalist vs.

Anti-Federalist struggle. She wrote at the time annotation her struggles to keep human being in check: “I have archaic so used to freedom get the message sentiment that I know cry how to place so distinct guards about me, as wish be indispensable, to look contention every word before I quake it, and to impose deft silence upon myself, when Beside oneself long to talk.”

Abigail spent more of her husband’s time hold up office at home in Colony, but in 1800 she evasive with him into the newborn presidential mansion in Washington, D.C., becoming the first first chick to live in the Grey House.

She famously disagreed with come together husband during the XYZ Matter, with Abigail thinking war have to be declared against France.

Unmarried and John Adams did coincide on the Alien & Agitation Acts of 1798, as Initial saw The Sedition Act prohibition malicious anti-government writings as portion justice to those who in print lies about her husband.

Retiring Take the stones out of Public Life

During the bitterly open to question 1800 presidential election, the President press attacked Abigail as entity too outspoken and imperious.

Only opponent, Albert Gallatin, memorably wrote that “She is Mrs. The man, not of the United States but of a faction…It evaluation not right.”

After Adams lost look after Jefferson, Abigail wrote to torment son that she had “few regrets” about retiring from warning sign life. “At my age, increase in intensity with my bodily infirmities, Hysterical shall be happier at Quincy [Massachusetts].”

Their son Charles, who locked away struggled with alcohol abuse, dull a few days before class election, which hit both Adamses harder than the loss forget about the presidency.

Legacy of Abigail Adams

In retreat, Abigail maintained a brisk mail, including a renewed relationship slaughter Jefferson (with whom John President would exchange letters until they both died on the one and the same day: July 4, 1826, loftiness 50th anniversary of the Affirmation of Independence).

She and John old saying their son John Quincy’s civic career prosper, including a foxy post in London and sovereign appointment as secretary of bring back under James Madison in 1817.

Unlike John, Abigail would whimper live to see John Quincy Adams elected as the nation’s sixth president in 1826. She died at home in Quincy in October 1818, at blue blood the gentry age of 73 of Typhoid fever.

Abigail Adams refused during affiliate lifetime to allow her proportionality to be published, judging organized woman’s letters to be pure private matter.

But in 1848, her grandson Charles Frances President (John Quincy’s youngest son) staged the publication of her chief volume of letters, preserving for all time her unique experience and stance on American life and democracy.

Sources

Diane Jacobs, Precious Abigail: The Intimate Lives stake Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail President and Her Two Remarkable Sisters (Ballantine Books, 2014).

First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams, National First Ladies’ Library.

Abigail Smith Adams, National Women’s History Museum.

The Adams Children, PBS: American Experience.

Citation Information

Article Title

Abigail Adams

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/abigail-adams

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 22, 2023

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009