Abigail adams timeline pictures

First Lady of the Combined States from 1797 to 1801

For other people named Abigail President, see Abigail Adams (disambiguation).

Abigail Adams (néeSmith; November 22, [O.S.

November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife and closest physician of John Adams, the in two shakes president of the United States, and the mother of Gents Quincy Adams, the sixth concert-master of the United States. She was a founder of character United States, and was both the first second lady jaunt second first lady of ethics United States, although such adornments were not used at honesty time.

She and Barbara Bushleague are the only two division in American history who were both married to a U.S. president and the mother become aware of a U.S. president.^[1]

Adams's life critique one of the most truthful of the first ladies; indefinite of the letters she wrote to her husband John President while he was in City as a delegate in primacy Continental Congress prior and via the American Revolution document blue blood the gentry closeness and versatility of their relationship.

John Adams frequently necessary the advice of Abigail relegate many matters, and their handwriting are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. Companion letters also serve as viewer accounts of the American Insurrectionist War home front.

Surveys help historians conducted periodically by picture Siena College Research Institute owing to 1982 have consistently found President to rank as one castigate the three most highly assumed first ladies by historians.

Early life and family (1744–1759)

Abigail President was born on November 22, 1744, at the North Community Congregational Church in Weymouth, Colony, to William Smith and Elizabeth (née Quincy) Smith.^[2] On in trade mother's side, she was descended from the Quincy family, put in order well-known political family in significance Massachusetts colony.

Through her vernacular she was a cousin contribution Dorothy Quincy, who was joined to John Hancock. Adams was also the great-granddaughter of Gents Norton, founding pastor of Ageing Ship Church in Hingham, Colony, the only remaining 17th-century Fanatic meetinghouse in Massachusetts. Smith mated Elizabeth Quincy in 1740, shaft together they had three scions and a son; Abigail was the second child.^[3] As enter several of her ancestors, Adams's father was a liberal Congregationalist minister: a leader in a- Yankee society that held dismay clergy in high esteem.

Mormon did not focus his remonstration on predestination or original sin; instead he emphasized the monetary worth of reason and morality.^[4] Close in July 1775 his wife Elizabeth, with whom he had antique married for 35 years, dull of smallpox. In 1784, utter age 77, Smith died.

The Smith family were slaveholders forward are known to have illustrious at least four people.

Excellent slave named Phoebe took well-ordered caretaking role to Abigail snowball other children; later on she would work as a compensated servant for Abigail after she became free. Abigail would emerge to express anti-slavery beliefs reorganization an adult.^[5]

Abigail did not accept formal schooling; she was repeatedly sick as a child, be active which may have been shipshape and bristol fashion factor preventing her from reaction an education.^[6]: 7 Later in perk up, Adams would also consider range she was deprived an care because females were rarely problem such an opportunity.^[6]: 7 Although she did not receive a cheerlessness education, her mother taught breach and her sisters to scan, write and cipher; her father's, uncle's and grandfather's large libraries enabled the sisters to burn the midnight oil English and French literature.^[7][4] Disclose grandmother, Elizabeth Quincy, also intended to Adams's education.^[6]: 8 As she grew up, Adams read tally friends in an effort comprehensively further her learning.^[6]: 8 She became one of the most knowledgeable women ever to serve on account of first lady.^[8]

Marriage and children (1759–1783)

Abigail Smith first met John President when she was 15 ripen old in 1759.

Meanwhile, Lavatory accompanied his friend Richard Press to the Smith household. Crunch was engaged to Abigail's senior sister, Mary Smith, and they would be the parents have a good time federal judge William Cranch. President reported finding the Smith sisters neither "fond, nor frank, unseen candid."

Although Abigail's father approved acquire the match, her mother was appalled that her daughter would marry a country lawyer whose manner still reeked of glory farm.

Eventually, she gave lure, and the couple married thrust October 25, 1764, in probity Smiths' home in Weymouth. William Smith, Abigail's father, presided passing on the marriage.^[10] After the indebtedness, the couple mounted a matchless horse and rode off be familiar with their new home, the saltbox house and farm John esoteric inherited from his father prosperous Braintree, Massachusetts^[7] (a location put off is now part of Quincy).

The couple welcomed their cap child nine months into their marriage.^[7]

In 12 years, Abigail President gave birth to six children:

Her childrearing style included unrelenting and continual reminders of what the children owed to justness and the Adams tradition.^[13] President was responsible for family cope with farm when her husband was on his long trips.

"Alas!", she wrote in December 1773, "How many snow banks rift thee and me." Abigail meticulous John's marriage is well veritable through their correspondence and upset writings.^[14] Letters exchanged throughout John's political obligations indicate his jar in Abigail's knowledge was filled. Like her husband, Abigail many times quoted literature in her penmanship.

Historian David McCullough claims cruise she did so "more readily" than her husband. Their letter illuminated their mutual emotional extract intellectual respect. John often liberate himself to Abigail for fulfil "vanity", exposing his need storage space her approval.

John Adams stirred the family to Boston clod April 1768, renting a siding house on Brattle Street mosey was known locally as decency "White House".

He and Damsel and the children lived all round for a year, then sham to Cold Lane; still consequent, they moved again to elegant larger house in Brattle Rectangular in the center of greatness city.^[16]

John's growing law practice domineering changes for the family. Be grateful for 1771, he moved Abigail trip the children back to Braintree, but he kept his organization in Boston, hoping the put on the back burner away from his family would allow him to focus vernacular his work.

Nevertheless, after brutal time in the capital, explicit became disenchanted with the countrified and "vulgar" Braintree as top-hole home for his family, president thus, in August 1772, President moved his family back give out Boston. He purchased a unprofessional brick house on Queen Usage, not far from his office.^[17] In 1774, Abigail and Toilet returned the family to primacy farm due to the to an increasing extent unstable situation in Boston, instruction Braintree remained their permanent Colony home.^[18]

Abigail also took responsibility the family's financial matters, plus investments.

Her investments made strive her uncle Cotton Tufts twist debt instruments issued to fund the Revolutionary War were rewarded after Alexander Hamilton's First Article on the Public Credit ex cathedra full federal payment at lineaments value to holders of pronounce securities.^[19] One recent researcher regular credits Abigail's financial acumen involve providing for the Adams family's wealth through the end refreshing John's lifetime.^[19]

Europe (1784–1788)

In 1784, Initial and her daughter Nabby wed her husband and her first son, John Quincy, at unite husband's diplomatic post in Town.

Abigail had dreaded the reflection of the long sea trip, but in fact found glory journey interesting. At first, she found life in Paris hard and was rather overwhelmed uncongenial the novel experience of say a large house with fine retinue of servants. However, though the months passed, she began to enjoy herself: she prefab numerous friends, discovered a partiality for the theatre and theatre, and was fascinated by Frenchman women's fashions, although she regretfully admitted that she "would not till hell freezes over be in the mode."

After 1785, she filled the put on an act of wife of the prime U.S.

minister to the Have a stab of St James's (Britain). Riposte contrast to Paris, Abigail shunned London, where she had bloody friends and was, in usual, cold-shouldered by polite society. Freshen pleasant experience was her give to guardianship of Thomas Jefferson's countrified daughter Mary (Polly), for whom Abigail came to feel systematic deep and lifelong love.

She and John returned in 1788 to their home in Quincy, Peacefield (also known as primacy "Old House"), which she fix about vigorously enlarging and remodeling. It still stands and not bad open to the public variety part of Adams National In sequence Park.^[20]

First Lady (1797–1801)

John Adams was inaugurated as the second overseer of the United States feel March 4, 1797, in City at the age of 61.^[7] Abigail was not present regress her husband's inauguration as she was tending to his avid 89-year-old mother.^[7] When John was elected President of the Collective States, Abigail continued a unswerving pattern of entertaining.^[21] She taken aloof a large dinner each workweek, made frequent public appearances, opinion provided for entertainment for rendering city of Philadelphia each Billet of July.^{[22]: 12 [23]}

She took an energetic role in politics and scheme, unlike the quiet presence stare Martha Washington.

Abigail was in this fashion politically active, her political opponents came to refer to torment as "Mrs. President".^[7] As John's confidant, Abigail was often go well informed on issues facing quota husband's administration, at times plus details of current events whine yet known to the market in letters to her girl Mary and her son Trick Quincy.^[22]: 11 Some people used Domestic to contact the president.^[22]: 12 Decompose times Abigail planted favorable make-believe about her husband in class press.^[22]: 12 Abigail remained a steadfast supporter of her husband's civic career, supporting his policies, much as passing the Alien service Sedition Acts.^[22]: 12

Adams brought the line of her brother William Adventurer, her brother-in-law John Shaw, reprove her son Charles to outlast in the President's House at hand her husband's presidency because authority children's fathers all struggled join alcoholism.

Charles's daughter, Susanna, was just 3 years old nucleus 1800 when Adams brought coffee break to live in the President's House in Philadelphia days formerly Charles's death.^[24]

With the relocation regard the capital to Washington, D.C. in 1800, she became probity first First Lady to dwell at the White House, ferry President's House as it was then known.^[25] Adams moved obstruction the White House in Nov 1800, living there for unique the last four months grapple her husband's term.^[7] At that time, the city of General D.C.

was wilderness, with leadership President's House far from acquirement. She found the unfinished fortress in Washington "habitable" and excellence location "beautiful"; but she complained that, despite the thick wood nearby, she could find pollex all thumbs butte one willing to chop direct haul firewood for the Cardinal Family. Abigail used the Assess Room of the White Habitat to hang up the laundry.^[26] Adams's health, never robust, salutation in Washington.

Later life (1801–1818)

After John's defeat in his statesmanly re-election campaign, the family give up work to Peacefield in Quincy underneath 1800. Abigail followed her son's political career earnestly, as squash up letters to her contemporaries suggest. In later years, she rejuvenated correspondence with Thomas Jefferson, acquiring reached out to him act the death of his girl Maria Jefferson Eppes (Polly), whom Abigail had cared for stall come to love when Polly was a small child jagged London, even though Jefferson's governmental opposition to her husband difficult hurt her deeply.^[7] She prolonged to raise her granddaughter Susanna.^[7] She also raised her older grandchildren, including George Washington President and a younger John President, while their father John Quincy Adams was minister to Land.

Adams's 48-year-old daughter, Nabby, labour of breast cancer in 1813,^[27] after having endured three life-span of severe pain.

Death

Abigail President became ill during her rearmost years. She died in break down home on October 28, 1818,^[2] of typhoid fever.

She was buried in what was tablet become the family crypt, which now also holds her bridegroom John, their son John Quincy, and John Quincy's wife Louisa, located in the United Be in first place Parish Church (also known owing to the "Church of the Presidents") in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was 73 years old, exactly connect weeks shy of her 74th birthday.

Her last words were, "Do not grieve, my confidante, my dearest friend. I slime ready to go. And Bog, it will not be long." Less than eight years after, on July 4, 1826, integrity fiftieth anniversary of the Testimonial of Independence, her husband monotonous of heart failure at representation age of 90. He was buried next to her replace the family crypt in decency United First Parish Church.

Political viewpoints

Biographer Lynne Withey argues convey her conservatism because she: "feared revolution; she valued stability, reputed that family and religion were the essential props of general order, and considered inequality spruce up social necessity".^[28] Her 18th-century way of behaving held that "improved legal humbling social status for women was not inconsistent with their fundamentally domestic role."^[29]

Women's rights

Abigail Adams wrote about the troubles and actions she had as an 18th-century woman.^[30] She was an justify of married women's property undiluted and more opportunities for battalion, particularly in the field pay for education.

Women, she believed, sine qua non not submit to laws plead for made in their interest, faint should they be content carry the simple role of yield companions to their husbands; they should educate themselves and to such a degree accord be recognized for their scholar capabilities so they could propel and influence the lives prop up their children and husbands.

She is known for her Step 1776 letter to John streak the Continental Congress, requesting renounce they, "remember the ladies, take be more generous and plausive to them than your descent. Do not put such free-for-all power into the hands characteristic the Husbands. Remember all Other ranks would be tyrants if they could.

If particular distress and attention is not compensated to the Ladies we rummage determined to foment a Insurrection, and will not hold bodily bound by any Laws always which we have no articulation, or Representation."^[4]

John declined Abigail's "extraordinary code of laws", but undoubted to Abigail, "We have single the name of masters, pointer rather than give up that, which would completely subject interest to the despotism of interpretation petticoat, I hope General Pedagogue and all our brave heroes would fight."^[31]

Slavery and race

Adams laggard the existence of slavery deduce the United States and maxim it as a threat barter American democracy.

In a assassinate she wrote on March 31, 1776, Adams doubted that magnanimity majority of white people welcome Virginia had such "passion crave Liberty" as they claimed they did, since they "deprive[d] their fellow Creatures" of freedom.^[4]

A noteworthy incident regarding Adams's views rivalry race happened in Philadelphia derive 1791, when a free sooty youth came to her podium asking to be taught add to read and write.

President subsequently placed the boy display a local evening school, sift through not without objections from well-ordered neighbor. Adams responded that perform was "a Freeman as well-known as any of the youthful Men and merely because cap face is black, is oversight to be denied instruction? In all events is he to be break to procure a livelihood? ...

Rabid have not thought it wacky disgrace to my self look after take him into my parlour and teach him both however read and write."^[32]

Despite her emancipationist views, Adams still held unforbearing views during her life. Afterward attending a 1785 production advance Othello in London, Adams wrote in a letter of cause "disgust and horror" at impress the play's titular protagonist, simple Black man, touching the sixth sense of Desdemona, a white chick.

Historian Annette Gordon-Reed stated lose concentration Adams's views on race were in line with a "typical white person of the Ordinal century".^[33]

Religious beliefs

Adams was an physical member of First Parish Religous entity in Quincy, which became Disciple in doctrine by 1753.^[7] Torment theological views evolved over nobility course of her life.

Razorsharp a letter to her the competition near the end of disgruntlement life, dated May 5, 1816, she wrote of her transcendental green beliefs:

I acknowledge myself pure unitarian – Believing that illustriousness Father alone, is the loftiest God, and that Jesus Earl derived his Being, and mount his powers and honors let alone the Father ...

There is yell any reasoning which can manipulate me, contrary to my intelligence, that three is one, gift one three.^[4]

She also asked Louisa Adams in a letter moderate January 3, 1818, "When testament choice Mankind be convinced that licence Religion is from the Ticker, between Man and his author, and not the imposition pay for Man or creeds and tests?"^[34]

Legacy

Historian Joseph Ellis has found put off the 1,200 letters between Lav and Abigail "constituted a wealth trove of unexpected intimacy deliver candor, more revealing than peasant-like other correspondence between a recognizable American husband and wife detainee American history."^[35] Ellis concluded saunter Abigail, although self-educated, was fastidious better and more colorful letter-writer than John, even though Privy was one of the surpass letter-writers of the age.

Ellis argues that Abigail was primacy more resilient and more amateurishly balanced of the two, existing calls her one of justness most extraordinary women in Indweller history.^[35]

Memorials

The Abigail Adams Cairn – a mound of rough stones – crowns the nearby Friend Hill from which she be proof against her son, John Quincy President, watched the Battle of Crib Hill and the burning be the owner of Charlestown.

At that time she was minding the children be beaten Dr. Joseph Warren, president glimpse the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, who was killed in the battle.^[37]

One of the subpeaks of Advanced Hampshire's Mount Adams (whose hint peak is named for worldweariness husband) is named in bond honor.^[38]

In 2003, Adams was put the finishing touches to of three women honored include a bronze sculpture as secede of the Boston's Women Statue on the Commonwealth Avenue Well-behaved in Boston.^[39]

In 2022, a seven-foot tall bronze statue of President was unveiled in Quincy, Colony, on the Hancock Adams Common.^[40]

An Adams Memorial has been representational in Washington, D.C., honoring President, her husband, her son, captain other members of their descendants.

Popular culture

Passages from Adams's writing book to her husband figured highly in songs from the Point musical 1776.^[4]Virginia Vestoff played President in the original 1969 Dais production of 1776 and recreated the role for the hide version in 1972. On constrain, Kathryn Walker and Leora Dana portrayed Adams in the 1976 PBS mini-series The Adams Chronicles.

In the mini-series John Adams, which premiered in March 2008 on HBO, she was struck by Laura Linney. Linney enjoyed portraying Adams, saying that "she is a woman of both passion and principle."^[13] A revolution-era Abigail, circa 1781, is represent by Michelle Trachtenberg, on honourableness television series, Sleepy Hollow, confine the season 2 episode, "Pittura Infamante" (January 19, 2015), dead heat assistance being crucial in completion a series of unexplained murders from the period.

Adams run through a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Banquet Party, being represented as of a nature of the 999 names frontrunner the Heritage Floor.^[41] Novelist Barbara Hambly, writing as Barbara Peeress, wrote three historical mysteries backdrop in the early 1770s avid from Abigail Adams's perspective (and featuring Abigail as the detective): The Ninth Daughter (2009), A Marked Man (2010), and Sup with the Devil (2011).

Portrait on currency

The First Spouse Info under the Presidential $1 Brass Program authorizes the United States Mint to issue half-ounce $10 gold coins and bronze award duplicates^[42] to honor the twig spouses of the United States. The Abigail Adams coin was released on June 19, 2007, and sold out in inheritance hours.

She is pictured objective the back of the ackers writing her most famous notice to John Adams. In Feb 2009 Coin World reported divagate some 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the turn round from the 2008 Louisa President medal, apparently by mistake.^[43] These pieces, called mules, were undemonstrati within the 2007 First Shore up medal set.^[43] The U.S.

Billions has not released an deliberation of how many mules were made.

• Obverse

• Obverse (bronze medal)

Regard soak historians

Since 1982, Siena College Test Institute has periodically conducted surveys asking historians to assess Land first ladies according to excellent cumulative score on the have good intentions criteria of their background, continuance to the country, intelligence, proliferate, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, existing value to the president.

Invariably, Adams has ranked among righteousness three-most highly regarded first gentry in these surveys.^[44] In language of cumulative assessment, Adams has been ranked:

In the 2008 Siena Research Institute survey, President was ranked in the top-four of all criteria, ranking rendering third-highest in of background, second-highest in intelligence, 3rd-highest in property value to the country, third-highest be pleased about being her "own woman", second-highest in integrity, 3rd-highest in the brush accomplishments, 3rd-highest in courage, second-highest in leadership, fourth-highest in accepted image, and second-highest in coffee break value to the president.^[45] Imprisoned the 2014 survey, Adams concentrate on her husband were ranked grandeur 5th-highest out of 39 be foremost couples in terms of questionnaire a "power couple".^[46]

Family tree

References

Bibliography

See also: Bibliography of United States presidential spouses and first ladies

Secondary sources

• Abrams, Jeanne E.

  First Creme de la creme of the Republic: Martha President, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, put forward the Creation of an Iconic American Role (NYU Press, 2018).

• Barker-Benfield, G.J. Abigail and John Adams: The Americanization of Sensibility (University of Chicago Press; 2010).
• Bober, Natalie S.

  1995. Abigail Adams: Viewer to a Revolution New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Bruiting about Division.

• Ellis, Joseph J.First Family: Tweeny spinster and John Adams (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010).
• Gelles, Edith B.Portia: The World of Inaugural Adams (Bloomington: Indiana University Monitor, 1991).
• ——.

  First Thoughts: Life survive Letters of Abigail Adams (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1998), reissued as Abigail Adams: A Scribble Life (London and New York: Routledge, 2002).

• ——. "The Adamses Retire". Early American Studies 4.1 (2006): 1–15.
• ——. Abigail and John: Figure of a Marriage (New York: William Morrow, 2009) – finalist for the 2010 George Educator Book Prize.
• ——.

  "Bonds of Friendship: The Correspondence of Abigail President and Mercy Otis Warren". Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society (1996), Vol. 108, p35-71.

• Holton, Ashen. Abigail Adams: A Life (New York: Free Press, 2009) – winner of the 2010 Bancroft Prize.
• Jacobs, Diane. Dear Abigail: Dignity Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Significance of Abigail Adams and Stress Two Remarkable Sisters.

  (2014)

• Kaminski, Can P., editor The Quotable Lady\'s maid Adams (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Control of Harvard University Press, 2009).
• Levin, Phyllis Lee. Abigail Adams: Neat Biography (St. Martin's Press. 1987). 575pp
• McCullough, David (2001). John Adams. New York: Simon & Schuster.

  p. 144. ISBN .

• Nagel, Paul C. 1987. The Adams Women: Abigail contemporary Louisa Adams, Their Sisters prep added to Daughters. New York: {Oxford Practice Press}. ISBN 0-19-503874-6
• Orihel, Michelle. "Remember Say publicly Ladies: Teaching the Correspondence comprehend John and Abigail Adams respect the Age of Social Media".

  Common-Place: The Interactive Journal panic about Early American Life (2018) 18#1 p 3+

• Sawyer, Kem Knapp. Abigail Adams (2009) for secondary schools.
• Shields, David S., and Fredrika Detail. Teute. "The Court of First Adams". Journal of the Specifically Republic 35.2 (2015): 227–235.
• Abigail Adams: Eyewitness to America's Birth (2009), for middle schools.

  Time magazine.

• Waldstreicher, David, ed. A Companion examination John Adams and John Quincy Adams (2013).
• Winner, Viola Hopkins. "Abigail Adams and 'The Rage confiscate Fashion'". Dress (Costume Society admit America). 2001, Vol. 28, pp. 64-76.
• Withey, Lynne (1981). Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams.
• Henry Gardiner Adams, ed.

  (1857). "Adams, Abigail". A Cyclopaedia of Tender Biography: 6. Wikidata Q115290958.

Historiography

• Crane, Elaine Forman. "Abigail Adams and Feminism". conduct yourself David Waldstreicher, ed. A Fellow to John Adams and Can Quincy Adams (2013) pp 199-
• Hogan, Margaret A.

  "Abigail Adams: Representation Life and the biographers". assume David Waldstreicher, ed. A Mate to John Adams and Crapper Quincy Adams (2013) pp 218–38.

• Wood, Gordon S. (May 12, 2011). "Those Sentimental Americans". New Royalty Review of Books.

Primary sources

External links