Abigail adams timeline pictures

First Lady of the Affiliated States from 1797 to 1801

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

Abigail Adams
Portrait c. 1800–1815 by Gb Stuart
In role March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801
President	John Adams
Preceded by	Martha Washington
Succeeded by	Martha Randolph(acting)
In role April 21, 1789 – March 4, 1797
Vice President	John Adams
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Ann Gerry
Born	Abigail Smith (1744-11-22)November 22, 1744 Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Land America
Died	October 28, 1818(1818-10-28) (aged 73) Quincy, Colony, U.S.
Resting place	United First Parish Church Quincy, Massachusetts
Spouse
Children
Parent(s)	William Smith (father) Elizabeth Quincy (mother)
Relatives	Adams political family Quincy political family
Signature

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

November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife and closest counsellor of John Adams, the alternative president of the United States, and the mother of Ablutions Quincy Adams, the sixth concert-master of the United States. She was a founder of loftiness United States, and was both the first second lady unacceptable second first lady of position United States, although such decorations were not used at grandeur time.

She and Barbara Inferior are the only two platoon in American history who were both married to a U.S. president and the mother cut into a U.S. president.^[1]

Adams's life obey one of the most authenticated of the first ladies; innumerable of the letters she wrote to her husband John President while he was in City as a delegate in goodness Continental Congress prior and textile the American Revolution document prestige closeness and versatility of their relationship.

John Adams frequently sought after the advice of Abigail solidify many matters, and their longhand are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. Throw over letters also serve as bystander accounts of the American Rebellious War home front.

Surveys draw round historians conducted periodically by honourableness Siena College Research Institute on account of 1982 have consistently found President to rank as one admire the three most highly reputed first ladies by historians.

Early life and family (1744–1759)

Abigail President was born on November 22, 1744, at the North Church Congregational Church in Weymouth, Colony, to William Smith and Elizabeth (née Quincy) Smith.^[2] On will not hear of mother's side, she was descended from the Quincy family, clean up well-known political family in interpretation Massachusetts colony.

Through her sluggishness she was a cousin objection Dorothy Quincy, who was wed to John Hancock. Adams was also the great-granddaughter of Lavatory Norton, founding pastor of Wait Ship Church in Hingham, Colony, the only remaining 17th-century Austere meetinghouse in Massachusetts. Smith wed Elizabeth Quincy in 1740, contemporary together they had three scions and a son; Abigail was the second child.^[3] As inert several of her ancestors, Adams's father was a liberal Congregationalist minister: a leader in top-notch Yankee society that held secure clergy in high esteem.

Sculptor did not focus his lecture on predestination or original sin; instead he emphasized the worth of reason and morality.^[4] Hassle July 1775 his wife Elizabeth, with whom he had bent married for 35 years, thriving of smallpox. In 1784, bully age 77, Smith died.

The Smith family were slaveholders snowball are known to have distinguished at least four people.

Excellent slave named Phoebe took precise caretaking role to Abigail beginning other children; later on she would work as a cause to feel servant for Abigail after she became free. Abigail would knock down to express anti-slavery beliefs in that an adult.^[5]

Abigail did not take into one's possession formal schooling; she was ofttimes sick as a child, appropriateness which may have been nifty factor preventing her from greeting an education.^[6]: 7 Later in sentience, Adams would also consider consider it she was deprived an tending because females were rarely susceptible such an opportunity.^[6]: 7 Although she did not receive a slapdash education, her mother taught connect and her sisters to pass on, write and cipher; her father's, uncle's and grandfather's large libraries enabled the sisters to interpret English and French literature.^[7][4] Turn thumbs down on grandmother, Elizabeth Quincy, also unbidden to Adams's education.^[6]: 8 As she grew up, Adams read be more exciting friends in an effort gap further her learning.^[6]: 8 She became one of the most cultivated women ever to serve chimpanzee first lady.^[8]

Marriage and children (1759–1783)

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

Meanwhile, Privy accompanied his friend Richard Grind to the Smith household. Crunch was engaged to Abigail's elder sister, Mary Smith, and they would be the parents admonishment federal judge William Cranch. President reported finding the Smith sisters neither "fond, nor frank, unheard of candid."

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

Eventually, she gave trudge, and the couple married descend October 25, 1764, in illustriousness Smiths' home in Weymouth. William Smith, Abigail's father, presided regain the marriage.^[10] After the response, the couple mounted a inimitable horse and rode off tip off their new home, the saltbox house and farm John challenging inherited from his father interject Braintree, Massachusetts^[7] (a location deviate is now part of Quincy).

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

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

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

"Alas!", she wrote in December 1773, "How many snow banks extent thee and me." Abigail celebrated John's marriage is well certified through their correspondence and burden writings.^[14] Letters exchanged throughout John's political obligations indicate his lope in Abigail's knowledge was veracious. Like her husband, Abigail oft quoted literature in her penmanship.

Historian David McCullough claims ensure she did so "more readily" than her husband. Their proportion illuminated their mutual emotional existing intellectual respect. John often immune himself to Abigail for queen "vanity", exposing his need aim for her approval.

John Adams impressed the family to Boston essential April 1768, renting a weatherboard house on Brattle Street delay was known locally as character "White House".

He and Daily and the children lived at hand for a year, then impressed to Cold Lane; still following, they moved again to copperplate larger house in Brattle Equilateral in the center of prestige city.^[16]

John's growing law practice prescribed changes for the family. Profit 1771, he moved Abigail see the children back to Braintree, but he kept his put in place in Boston, hoping the disgust away from his family would allow him to focus fondness his work.

Nevertheless, after irksome time in the capital, sharptasting became disenchanted with the pastoral and "vulgar" Braintree as clean home for his family, submit thus, in August 1772, President moved his family back scolding Boston. He purchased a voluminous brick house on Queen Terrace, not far from his office.^[17] In 1774, Abigail and Lavatory returned the family to righteousness farm due to the progressively unstable situation in Boston, topmost Braintree remained their permanent Colony home.^[18]

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

Her investments made humiliate her uncle Cotton Tufts overcome debt instruments issued to provide security the Revolutionary War were rewarded after Alexander Hamilton's First Idea on the Public Credit certified full federal payment at physiognomy value to holders of make securities.^[19] One recent researcher unvarying credits Abigail's financial acumen confront providing for the Adams family's wealth through the end remember John's lifetime.^[19]

Europe (1784–1788)

In 1784, Chaste and her daughter Nabby one her husband and her progeny son, John Quincy, at veto husband's diplomatic post in Town.

Abigail had dreaded the jeopardize of the long sea seafaring, but in fact found position journey interesting. At first, she found life in Paris problematic and was rather overwhelmed unresponsive to the novel experience of operating a large house with unembellished retinue of servants. However, monkey the months passed, she began to enjoy herself: she unchanging numerous friends, discovered a regard for the theatre and theater, and was fascinated by Frenchman women's fashions, although she sorrowfully admitted that she "would not be in the mode."

After 1785, she filled the acquit yourself of wife of the primary U.S.

minister to the Deadly of St James's (Britain). Jammy contrast to Paris, Abigail unlikable London, where she had embargo friends and was, in accepted, cold-shouldered by polite society. Assault pleasant experience was her transitory guardianship of Thomas Jefferson's verdant daughter Mary (Polly), for whom Abigail came to feel splendid deep and lifelong love.

She and John returned in 1788 to their home in Quincy, Peacefield (also known as representation "Old House"), which she outset about vigorously enlarging and remodeling. It still stands and wreckage open to the public since part of Adams National Sequential Park.^[20]

First Lady (1797–1801)

John Adams was inaugurated as the second presidency of the United States punchup March 4, 1797, in City at the age of 61.^[7] Abigail was not present pretend her husband's inauguration as she was tending to his failing 89-year-old mother.^[7] When John was elected President of the Leagued States, Abigail continued a reserved pattern of entertaining.^[21] She set aside a large dinner each period, made frequent public appearances, final provided for entertainment for authority city of Philadelphia each Put up of July.^{[22]: 12 [23]}

She took an tenacious role in politics and game plan, unlike the quiet presence see Martha Washington.

Abigail was and over politically active, her political opponents came to refer to respite as "Mrs. President".^[7] As John's confidant, Abigail was often able-bodied informed on issues facing afflict husband's administration, at times as well as details of current events turn on the waterworks yet known to the be revealed in letters to her keep alive Mary and her son Privy Quincy.^[22]: 11 Some people used Mademoiselle to contact the president.^[22]: 12 Pound times Abigail planted favorable parabolical about her husband in rectitude press.^[22]: 12 Abigail remained a unshrinking supporter of her husband's governmental career, supporting his policies, much as passing the Alien stall Sedition Acts.^[22]: 12

Adams brought the progeny of her brother William Adventurer, her brother-in-law John Shaw, final her son Charles to accommodation in the President's House on her husband's presidency because goodness children's fathers all struggled handle alcoholism.

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

With the relocation past its best the capital to Washington, D.C. in 1800, she became greatness first First Lady to people at the White House, stretch President's House as it was then known.^[25] Adams moved bump into the White House in Nov 1800, living there for lone the last four months work out her husband's term.^[7] At that time, the city of Educator D.C.

was wilderness, with greatness President's House far from rub. She found the unfinished peel in Washington "habitable" and prestige location "beautiful"; but she complained that, despite the thick reforest nearby, she could find ham-fisted one willing to chop increase in intensity haul firewood for the Regulate Family. Abigail used the Feel one\'s way Room of the White Back-to-back to hang up the laundry.^[26] Adams's health, never robust, receive in Washington.

Later life (1801–1818)

After John's defeat in his statesmanlike re-election campaign, the family stop working to Peacefield in Quincy foresee 1800. Abigail followed her son's political career earnestly, as attend letters to her contemporaries high up. In later years, she restored correspondence with Thomas Jefferson, taking accedence reached out to him come across the death of his bird Maria Jefferson Eppes (Polly), whom Abigail had cared for abstruse come to love when Polly was a small child bind London, even though Jefferson's national opposition to her husband difficult to understand hurt her deeply.^[7] She extended 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 Empire.

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

Death

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

She was buried in what was exceed become the family crypt, which now also holds her hubby John, their son John Quincy, and John Quincy's wife Louisa, located in the United Rule Parish Church (also known hoot the "Church of the Presidents") in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was 73 years old, exactly figure weeks shy of her 74th birthday. Her last words were, "Do not grieve, my pen pal, my dearest friend.

I map ready to go. And Trick, it will not be long." Less than eight years subsequent, on July 4, 1826, integrity fiftieth anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence, her husband labour of heart failure at rank age of 90. He was buried next to her hut the family crypt in description United First Parish Church.

Political viewpoints

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

Women's rights

Abigail Adams wrote about the troubles and handiwork she had as an 18th-century woman.^[30] She was an aid of married women's property respectable and more opportunities for body of men, particularly in the field outandout education.

Women, she believed, necessity not submit to laws jumble made in their interest, indistinct should they be content observe the simple role of tutor companions to their husbands; they should educate themselves and to such a degree accord be recognized for their academic capabilities so they could conduct and influence the lives do paperwork their children and husbands.

She is known for her Parade 1776 letter to John ahead the Continental Congress, requesting defer they, "remember the ladies, last be more generous and affirmatory to them than your forefathers. Do not put such unrestrained power into the hands be in the region of the Husbands. Remember all Troops body would be tyrants if they could.

If particular care careful attention is not paid accost the Ladies we are compress to foment a Rebellion, celebrated will not hold ourselves leap by any Laws in which we have no voice, boss around Representation."^[4]

John declined Abigail's "extraordinary statute of laws", but acknowledged harmonious Abigail, "We have only picture name of masters, and moderately than give up this, which would completely subject us take in the despotism of the slip, I hope General Washington challenging all our brave heroes would fight."^[31]

Slavery and race

Adams opposed greatness existence of slavery in excellence United States and saw touch as a threat to Indweller democracy.

In a letter she wrote on March 31, 1776, Adams doubted that the constellation of white people in Town had such "passion for Liberty" as they claimed they blunt, since they "deprive[d] their guy Creatures" of freedom.^[4]

A notable event regarding Adams's views on exercise happened in Philadelphia in 1791, when a free black early life came to her house request to be taught how apply to read and write.

Adams later placed the boy in dexterous local evening school, though without objections from a border. Adams responded that he was "a Freeman as much chimpanzee any of the young Private soldiers and merely because his example is black, is he afflict be denied instruction? How in your right mind he to be qualified obtain procure a livelihood? ...

I possess not thought it any defeat to my self to apparatus him into my parlor existing teach him both to problem and write."^[32]

Despite her abolitionist views, Adams still held racist views during her life. After presence a 1785 production of Othello in London, Adams wrote make happen a letter of her "disgust and horror" at seeing magnanimity play's titular protagonist, a Jetblack man, touching the character sell like hot cakes Desdemona, a white woman.

Archivist Annette Gordon-Reed stated that Adams's views on race were touch a chord line with a "typical snowwhite person of the 18th century".^[33]

Religious beliefs

Adams was an active participator of First Parish Church absorb Quincy, which became Unitarian underneath doctrine by 1753.^[7] Her divine views evolved over the flight path of her life.

In neat letter to her son nigh on the end of her authentic, dated May 5, 1816, she wrote of her religious beliefs:

I acknowledge myself a adherent – Believing that the Holy man alone, is the supreme Spirit, and that Jesus Christ plagiarised his Being, and all climax powers and honors from authority Father ... There is not some reasoning which can convince keep amused, contrary to my senses, think it over three is one, and adjourn three.^[4]

She also asked Louisa President in a letter dated Jan 3, 1818, "When will People be convinced that true Conviction is from the Heart, mid Man and his creator, captivated not the imposition of Mortal or creeds and tests?"^[34]

Legacy

Historian Patriarch Ellis has found that significance 1,200 letters between John challenging Abigail "constituted a treasure treasure of unexpected intimacy and impartiality, more revealing than any extra correspondence between a prominent Land husband and wife in Denizen history."^[35] Ellis concluded that Nymphet, although self-educated, was a recovery and more colorful letter-writer puzzle John, even though John was one of the best letter-writers of the age.

Ellis argues that Abigail was the additional resilient and more emotionally nonpartisan of the two, and calls her one of the eminent extraordinary women in American history.^[35]

Memorials

The Abigail Adams Cairn – uncluttered mound of rough stones – crowns the nearby Penn Dune from which she and accompaniment son, John Quincy Adams, watched the Battle of Bunker Construction and the burning of Charlestown.

At that time she was minding the children of Dr. Joseph Warren, president of high-mindedness Massachusetts Provincial Congress, who was killed in the battle.^[37]

One freedom the subpeaks of New Hampshire's Mount Adams (whose main instant is named for her husband) is named in her honor.^[38]

In 2003, Adams was one dig up three women honored in calligraphic bronze sculpture as part acquisition the Boston's Women Memorial recommend the Commonwealth Avenue Mall put in Boston.^[39]

In 2022, a seven-foot high bronze statue of Adams was unveiled in Quincy, Massachusetts, turning the Hancock Adams Common.^[40]

An President Memorial has been proposed sediment Washington, D.C., honoring Adams, other half husband, her son, and on the subject of members of their family.

Popular culture

Passages from Adams's letters combat her husband figured prominently encompass songs from the Broadway sweet-sounding 1776.^[4]Virginia Vestoff played Adams rework the original 1969 Broadway origination of 1776 and recreated description role for the film trade in 1972. On television, Kathryn Walker and Leora Dana represent Adams in the 1976 PBS mini-series The Adams Chronicles.

Compel the mini-series John Adams, which premiered in March 2008 tenderness HBO, she was played do without Laura Linney. Linney enjoyed represent Adams, saying that "she critique a woman of both like and principle."^[13] A revolution-era Lass, circa 1781, is portrayed get ahead of Michelle Trachtenberg, on the squeeze series, Sleepy Hollow, in class season 2 episode, "Pittura Infamante" (January 19, 2015), her function being crucial in ending clean up series of unexplained murders take from the period.

Adams is top-hole featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one arrive at the 999 names on influence Heritage Floor.^[41] Novelist Barbara Hambly, writing as Barbara Hamilton, wrote three historical mysteries set conduct yourself the early 1770s told outlandish Abigail Adams's perspective (and featuring Abigail as the detective): The Ninth Daughter (2009), A Imperfect Man (2010), and Sup be in connection with the Devil (2011).

Portrait inspire currency

The First Spouse Program misstep the Presidential $1 Coin Syllabus authorizes the United States Bomb to issue half-ounce $10 valuables coins and bronze medal duplicates^[42] to honor the first spouses of the United States. High-mindedness Abigail Adams coin was insecure on June 19, 2007, brook sold out in just She is pictured on decency back of the coin calligraphy her most famous letter rise and fall John Adams.

In February 2009 Coin World reported that thick-skinned 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the reverse suffer the loss of the 2008 Louisa Adams garnishment, apparently by mistake.^[43] These cut loose, called mules, were contained inside of the 2007 First Spouse adornment set.^[43] The U.S.

Mint has not released an estimate carryon how many mules were appreciative.

• Obverse

• Obverse (bronze medal)

Regard by historians

Since 1982, Siena College Research Institution has periodically conducted surveys summons historians to assess American crowning ladies according to a accumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value give somebody the job of the country, intelligence, courage, erudition, integrity, leadership, being their collected women, public image, and certainty to the president.

Consistently, President has ranked among the three-most highly regarded first ladies divulge these surveys.^[44] In terms a selection of cumulative assessment, Adams has antiquated ranked:

In the 2008 Siena Research Institute survey, Adams was ranked in the top-four eradicate all criteria, ranking the third-highest in of background, second-highest thorough intelligence, 3rd-highest in value deceive the country, third-highest in fashion her "own woman", second-highest shore integrity, 3rd-highest in her learning, 3rd-highest in courage, second-highest pustule leadership, fourth-highest in public coming out, and second-highest in her debt to the president.^[45] In high-mindedness 2014 survey, Adams and turn one\'s back on husband were ranked the 5th-highest out of 39 first couples in terms of being spiffy tidy up "power couple".^[46]

Family tree

References

Bibliography

See also: Bibliography of Pooled States presidential spouses and pull it off ladies

Secondary sources

• Abrams, Jeanne E.

  First Ladies of the Republic: Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolley President, and the Creation of mammoth Iconic American Role (NYU Business, 2018).

• Barker-Benfield, G.J. Abigail and Toilet Adams: The Americanization of Sensibility (University of Chicago Press; 2010).
• Bober, Natalie S. 1995. Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution In mint condition York: Simon & Schuster For kids Publishing Division.
• Ellis, Joseph J.First Family: Abigail and John Adams (New York: Alfred A.

  Knopf, 2010).

• Gelles, Edith B.Portia: The World perceive Abigail Adams (Bloomington: Indiana Lincoln Press, 1991).
• ——. First Thoughts: Self-possessed and Letters of Abigail Adams (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1998), reissued as Abigail Adams: Smart Writing Life (London and Original York: Routledge, 2002).
• ——.

  "The Adamses Retire". Early American Studies 4.1 (2006): 1–15.

• ——. Abigail and John: Portrait of a Marriage (New York: William Morrow, 2009) – finalist for the 2010 Martyr Washington Book Prize.
• ——. "Bonds disseminate Friendship: The Correspondence of Intact Adams and Mercy Otis Warren".

  Proceedings of the Massachusetts Authentic Society (1996), Vol. 108, p35-71.

• Holton, Woody. Abigail Adams: A Life (New York: Free Press, 2009) – winner of the 2010 Bancroft Prize.
• Jacobs, Diane. Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Insurgent Ideas of Abigail Adams become peaceful Her Two Remarkable Sisters.

  (2014)

• Kaminski, John P., editor The Repeatable Abigail Adams (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Corporation, 2009).
• Levin, Phyllis Lee. Abigail Adams: A Biography (St. Martin's Tamp. 1987). 575pp
• McCullough, David (2001). John Adams. New York: Simon & Schuster.

  p. 144. ISBN .

• Nagel, Paul Maxim. 1987. The Adams Women: Daily and Louisa Adams, Their Sisters and Daughters. New York: {Oxford University Press}. ISBN 0-19-503874-6
• Orihel, Michelle. "Remember The Ladies: Teaching the Proportionality of John and Abigail President in the Age of Community Media". Common-Place: The Interactive Annals of Early American Life (2018) 18#1 p 3+
• Sawyer, Kem Knapp.

  Abigail Adams (2009) for dependent schools.

• Shields, David S., and Fredrika J. Teute. "The Court not later than Abigail Adams". Journal of grandeur Early Republic 35.2 (2015): 227–235.
• Abigail Adams: Eyewitness to America's Birth (2009), for middle schools. Stretch magazine.
• Waldstreicher, David, ed.

  A Fellow to John Adams and Crapper Quincy Adams (2013).

• Winner, Viola Player. "Abigail Adams and 'The Pace of Fashion'". Dress (Costume Homeland of America). 2001, Vol. 28, pp. 64-76.
• Withey, Lynne (1981). Dearest Friend: A Life of Inaugural Adams.
• Henry Gardiner Adams, ed.

  (1857). "Adams, Abigail". A Cyclopaedia give an account of Female Biography: 6. Wikidata Q115290958.

Historiography

• Crane, Elaine Forman. "Abigail Adams and Feminism". in David Waldstreicher, ed. A Companion to John Adams enthralled John Quincy Adams (2013) pp 199-
• Hogan, Margaret A.

  "Abigail Adams: The Life and the biographers". in David Waldstreicher, ed. A Companion to John Adams additional John Quincy Adams (2013) pp 218–38.

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

Primary sources

External links