Premium Essay

Abigail Adams: A Woman Before The American Revolution

Submitted By
Words 656
Pages 3
Nearly 150 years before the House of Representatives passed the 19th Amendment, Abigail Adams wrote a letter, dated March 31, 1776, to her husband, John Adams. She urged him and other members of the Continental Congress not to forget about the nation’s women when fighting for America’s independence. This letter was a very important first step in the fight for equal rights for women. Abigail was admired and respected in her time and her letters written to John Adams continue to show people of the world a perspective on life and politics during the revolutionary era.
Times for women before the American Revolution were difficult and unjust. They were routinely excluded and kept silent, just as they had always been in times even before 1776. “...

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Comparative Essay

...Franklin ( Wood,2004) and Abigail Adams (Holton, 2009) each depict historical figures before, during, and after the American revolution. Respectively, Woody Holton and Gordon S. Wood present unique aspects of Abigail Adams and Benjamin Franklin which highlight societal, institutional, and ideological changes brought about by the American revolution. Holton’s depiction of Abigail Adams provides an in depth analysis of the challenges she faces as a wife who assumes the roles typically undertaken by the family patriarch. In wood’s book, the depiction of Benjamin Franklin allows the reader to understand the progressive development of Franklin as he transitions from a gentleman to an ardent revolutionary. An interesting aspect of Wood’s portrayal of Franklin resides in his detailed analyses of his contributions to the American Revolution and the generally negative reception he receives upon returning to the independent colonies. Both Wood and Holton chose these individuals, and specifically the overriding topics of each book, in order to explain these chosen themes through the perspective of well-known historical figures. Although both authors make interesting arguments, Holton’s research on Abigail Adams presents a more significant contribution to historical research by highlighting her contribution to women’s rights and feminism. Woody Holton’s work, Abigail Adams (2009) tells the story of the wife of John Adams before, during, and after the American Revolution. Holton’s depiction of...

Words: 1948 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Abigail Adams

...Book Summary of Abigail Adams A Revolutionary American Woman, By Charles W. Akers By phillir The life story of Abigail Adams by Charles W. Akers, records the history about a woman who was an advocate for the rights of women throughout the American Revolution and the big part she played in the career of her husband that helped to persuade our society. The author opens up the story with giving readers information about two former United States Presidents, who both had family ties to Abigail. She was the biological mother to one of these powerful men and the spouse and helpmeet to the other. Readers find out that although she was known by her connection to these two authoritative males, this was a woman who was just as worthy to be known as the man she vowed a martial union with, and the one she brought into this world as her son. The writer then rewinds to ten years earlier before Abigail was born. It is here that we are introduced to Abigail’s parents. William Smith and Elizabeth Quincy who were united in Holy matrimony, and three daughters and one son were born to this union. Abigail was born on November 11, 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Although Abigail did not go to school, she was taught at home with the help of closely related family members. During this time, the main role of women was to care for their home, husband, and children and not to get involved in the business matters pertaining to men such as, war, commerce, politics and other issues. Not much importance...

Words: 1071 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

American Revolution Dbq

...The American Revolution evokes a romantic image of hard working patriots fighting against the British for their freedom whilst establishing what it means to be American. The actual revolution was very different, while the Americans fought for freedom against the British, the Americans only wanted to keep their rights as British citizens. Women and slaves joined in on the fight for freedom; however, they were simply looking for the same rights as their white, male counterparts. Essentially, the American Revolution was nothing radical, the revolution was just different groups of Americans fighting for preexisting rights that they each believed that they deserved. The early colonists in America had very onerous lives. They had to build an entire...

Words: 969 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

An Analytical Essay: Abigail Adams's Declaration Of Independence

...Abigail Adams once said, “Well, knowledge is a fine thing, and mother Eve thought so; but she smarted so severely for hers, that most of her daughters have been afraid of it since” (Adams, Abigail. Letter to Elizabeth Shaw). In every American elementary school classroom, children are being told the story of the country, how George Washington crossed the Delaware River, how Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and how America, a colony still in infancy, managed to gain independence from powerful Britain. The Founding Fathers are essential historical personages that every American child is well schooled in, but the women who helped shape the country are rarely discussed. Abigail Adams is mostly known as the wife of the second president John Adams, but she was much more than that, and left an indelible imprint on the political landscape of the time. She is a Founding Mother- full of spark, depth, and intelligence. SUMMARY Abigail Adams was an intelligent woman from the day she was born until the day she died. She was raised to have a strong sense of morals and beliefs, as well as a love for education. Her...

Words: 1574 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

How Did John Adams Move To Independence

...John Adams was an independent man. He was an American patriot who served as the second president of the United States. John taught Abraham Lincoln how to free slaves and give them freedom. He also was a lawyer, diplomat, statesman, political. You can say he was a leader of the movement for America independence from Great Britain. John Adams was always a very independent man, he enjoyed working on his own a lot. He really wanted independence. He was a short man, but he’s long on opinions and he always thinking for himself. That’s why everyone started to call him “Alas of Independence”. He developed a reputation for being independent, out spoken, and honest. So he moved to a public service just as the movement for independent America was developed. John Adams was the leader of the American Revolution. He served as the second U.S. president from 1797 to 1801. Then he became critic of Great Britain authority. Before he was president he was the first vice president. He lost by Thomas Jefferson. He was also the first American ambassador to the court of St. James. He’s the author of the Massachusetts constitution....

Words: 1279 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

A Magnificent Catastrophe

...Catastrophe talks about the events leading up to the declaration of independence, the wars and obstacles it had to over come, what happened after independence was declared, and the downfall between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Lets start at the beginning with the American Revolution, which occurred in 1765 all the way through 1783. This is where John Adams and Thomas Jefferson’s friendship began. In 1775 the first Congressional Congress was held which is where the friendship of Adams and Jefferson began, they were the best of friends for years. In 1776, Adams served with Jefferson on the committee to write the Declaration of independence. After writing the Declaration of Independence they were sent to Europe to represent the United States and try and gain support from the Europeans for their county. This made their relationship grow stronger; their families began to become close with one another. Abigail Adams, John Adams wife, would work with Adams and Jefferson with whatever they needed, whether it was advice on what the government should do or how the constitution should be written, she was their and was a big part of their success. “For Jefferson, Abigail Adams became a trusted source of personal and family advice from a woman who was his intellectual equal”(2007. 9). Abigail was the first, First Lady that was an active member in the government. She often had a hard time keeping her mouth shut on certain topics. She had to...

Words: 1385 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Women's Suffrage Movement Research Paper

...Christian Bruce The Women’s Suffrage Movement. Before the Women’s suffrage movement started, (“Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John Adams asking him to "remember the ladies" in the new code of laws. Adams replies the men will fight the "despotism of the petticoat.”) This was written in 1776; Women were not treated as they are today. In countries even today women are treated as unequal with men, they are used and abused they are basically slaves to the men of certain countries. In the United States before this movement women were looked down on not only socially but also economically and politically....

Words: 2270 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Liberty

...The Story of the Fourth of July The Declaration of Independence We celebrate American Independence Day on the Fourth of July every year. We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation. But July 4, 1776 wasn't the day that the Continental Congress decided to declare independence (they did that on July 2, 1776). It wasn’t the day we started the American Revolution either (that had happened back in April 1775). And it wasn't the day Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence (that was in June 1776). Or the date on which the Declaration was delivered to Great Britain (that didn't happen until November 1776). Or the date it was signed (that was August 2, 1776). So what did happen on July 4, 1776? The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They'd been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes. July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence, and the fancy handwritten copy that was signed in August (the copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.) It’s also the date that was printed on the Dunlap Broadsides, the original printed copies of the Declaration that were circulated throughout the new nation. So when people thought of the Declaration of Independence...

Words: 16917 - Pages: 68

Premium Essay

Essays

...TExES I Texas Examinations of Educator Standards Preparation Manual 133 History 8–12 Copyright © 2006 by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). All rights reserved. The Texas Education Agency logo and TEA are registered trademarks of the Texas Education Agency. Texas Examinations of Educator Standards, TExES, and the TExES logo are trademarks of the Texas Education Agency. This publication has been produced for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by ETS. ETS is under contract to the Texas Education Agency to administer the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) program and the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) program. The TExES program and the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) program are administered under the authority of the Texas Education Agency; regulations and standards governing the program are subject to change at the discretion of the Texas Education Agency. The Texas Education Agency and ETS do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in the administration of the testing program or the provision of related services. PREFACE The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) has developed new standards for Texas educators that delineate what the beginning educator should know and be able to do. These standards, which are based on the state-required curriculum for students——the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)——form the basis for new Texas Examinations...

Words: 14132 - Pages: 57

Premium Essay

Religion and Ethics in Our Modern Society

...Notes for the Course: Religion and Ethics in our Modern Society, 2012 By Dr H Ndlovu Definition and Nature of Christian Ethics Ethics is derived from the Greek word “ethos” that is also comes from another word “ethika.” Ethika means norms, conventions, values, customs the society. Thus ethics is a discipline that examines one’s moral standards or the moral of a society. These are absorbed from family, church and friends. Why Study Ethics There are nine reasons why human beings have to study ethics. 1. Human beings are capable of reasoning from cause to effect with the understanding that everything done has effect. 2. Human beings are capable of making choices after comparing the alternatives, that is, internal and external. People have two cells namely: a. Real – what we have now b. Ideal – what we are aiming at 3. Human beings are self – conscious. This means we can study ourselves by being a subject and be the object at the same time. 4. Human beings are finite or limited not knowing what will happen from the next moment or next door. Thus, we must have principles to apply when situations comes. 5. Human life is an active dynamic phenomenon – We do something as if we do nothing. 6. People also can be taught to be good (Isaiah 1 :18) 7. Human beings are capable of filing an obligation 8. Human beings are also capable of understanding what moral terms like freedom, dignity and so on affects other people. 9. Finally, human beings need to survive. Human civilization...

Words: 39235 - Pages: 157

Free Essay

Gmat Verbal

...Practice Test #1 Sentence Correction 1. To meet the rapidly rising market demand for fish and seafood, suppliers are growing fish twice as fast as they grow naturally, cutting their feed allotment by nearly half and raising them on special diets. 2. Organized in 1966 by the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Breeding Bird Survey uses annual roadside counts along established routes to monitor changes in the populations of more than 250 bird species, including 180 songbirds. 3. Less than 35 years after the release of African honeybees outside Sao Paulo, Brazil, their descendants, popularly known as killer bees, had migrated as far north as southern Texas. 4. Excited about the prospects of harnessing Niagara Falls to produce electric power, Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating current, predicted in the mid-1890's that electricity generated at Niagara would one day power the streetcars of London and the streetlights of Paris. 5. The airline company, following through on recent warnings that it might start reducing service, announced that it was eliminating jet service to nine cities, closing some unneeded operations, and grounding twenty-two planes. 6. The list of animals that exhibit a preference for using either the right or the left hand (i.e., claw, paw, or foot) has been expanded to include the lower vertebrates. 7. Obtaining an investment-grade rating will keep the county's future borrowing costs low, protect its already-tattered...

Words: 9754 - Pages: 40

Free Essay

Child Labour

...10000 quiz questions and answers www.cartiaz.ro 10000 general knowledge questions and answers 10000 general knowledge questions and answers www.cartiaz.ro No Questions Quiz 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Carl and the Passions changed band name to what How many rings on the Olympic flag What colour is vermilion a shade of King Zog ruled which country What colour is Spock's blood Where in your body is your patella Where can you find London bridge today What spirit is mixed with ginger beer in a Moscow mule Who was the first man in space What would you do with a Yashmak Who betrayed Jesus to the Romans Which animal lays eggs On television what was Flipper Who's band was The Quarrymen Which was the most successful Grand National horse Who starred as the Six Million Dollar Man In the song Waltzing Matilda - What is a Jumbuck Who was Dan Dare's greatest enemy in the Eagle What is Dick Grayson better known as What was given on the fourth day of Christmas What was Skippy ( on TV ) What does a funambulist do What is the name of Dennis the Menace's dog What are bactrians and dromedaries Who played The Fugitive Who was the King of Swing Who was the first man to fly across the channel Who starred as Rocky Balboa In which war was the charge of the Light Brigade Who invented the television Who would use a mashie niblick In the song who killed Cock Robin What do deciduous...

Words: 123102 - Pages: 493

Free Essay

Living History

...support and love blessed my heart and sustained me in the years of living history. AUTHOR’S NOTE In 1959, I wrote my autobiography for an assignment in sixth grade. In twenty-nine pages, most half-filled with earnest scrawl, I described my parents, brothers, pets, house, hobbies, school, sports and plans for the future. Forty-two years later, I began writing another memoir, this one about the eight years I spent in the White House living history with Bill Clinton. I quickly realized that I couldn’t explain my life as First Lady without going back to the beginning―how I became the woman I was that first day I walked into the White House on January 20, 1993, to take on a new role and experiences that would test and transform me in unexpected ways. By the time I crossed the threshold of the White House, I had been shaped by my family upbringing, education, religious faith and all that I had learned before―as the daughter of a staunch conservative father and a more liberal mother, a student activist, an advocate for children, a lawyer, Bill’s wife and Chelsea’s mom. For each chapter, there were more ideas I wanted to discuss than space allowed; more people to include than could be named; more places visited than could be described. If I mentioned everybody who has impressed, inspired, taught, influenced and helped me along the way, this book would be several volumes long. Although I’ve had to be selec- tive, I hope that I’ve conveyed the push and pull of events and relationships...

Words: 217937 - Pages: 872

Free Essay

Manager

...typically devastate an area 100 times greater than will a quake of comparable magnitude occurring in the West.(D-P35-9) 2.Local residents claim that San Antonio, Texas, has more good Mexican American restaurants than does any other city in the United States. (D-p78-14) 3.The guiding principles of the tax plan released by the Treasury Department could have even greater significance for the economy than do the particulars of the plan. (C-p8-6) 4. Because natural gas is composed mostly of methane, a simple hydrocarbon, vehicles powered by natural gas emit less of certain pollutants than those burning gasoline or diesel fuel. (C-p8-16) 5. The United States government employs a much larger proportion of women in trade negotiations than does any other government. (C-p22-8) 6. The pay of senior executives increased in 1990 by a larger percentage than did the wages of other salaried workers. (C-p67-5) 7. A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle can, and at a lower cost. (C-p67-10) 8. Los Angeles has a higher number of family dwellings per capita than does any other large city. (B-p76-16) 9. Inflation has made many Americans reevaluate their assumptions about the future, they still expect to live better than their parents did, but not so well as they once thought they could. (B-p80-22)...

Words: 31163 - Pages: 125

Premium Essay

Freakonomics-Expanded

...set forth: namely, if morality represents how people would like the world to work, then economics shows how it actually does work. Why the conventional wisdom is so often wrong . . . How “experts”— from criminologists to real-estate agents to political scientists—bend the facts . . . Why knowing what to measure, and how to measure it, is the key to understanding modern life . . . What is “freakonomics,” anyway? 1. What Do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common? 15 In which we explore the beauty of incentives, as well as their dark side—cheating. Contents Who cheats? Just about everyone . . . How cheaters cheat, and how to catch them . . . Stories from an Israeli day-care center . . . The sudden disappearance of seven million American children . . . Cheating schoolteachers in Chicago . . . Why cheating to lose is worse than cheating to win . . . Could sumo wrestling, the national sport of Japan, be corrupt? . . . What the Bagel Man saw: mankind may be more honest than we think. 2. How Is the Ku Klux Klan Like a Group of Real-Estate Agents? 49 In which it is argued that nothing is more powerful than information, especially when its power is abused. Spilling the Ku Klux Klan’s secrets . . . Why experts of every kind are in the perfect position to exploit you . . . The antidote to information abuse: the Internet . . . Why a new car is suddenly worth so much less the moment it leaves the lot . . . Breaking the real-estate agent code: what “well maintained” really means ...

Words: 105214 - Pages: 421