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In our ongoing series #WomenThatDid, ENTITY profiles inspirational and famous women in history whose impact on our world can still be felt today. If you have a suggestion for a historical powerhouse you would like to see featured, tweet us with the hashtag #WomenThatDid.
NAME: Abigail Adams
LIFETIME: November 11, 1744 – October 28, 1818
WHAT SHE IS KNOWN FOR: Abigail Adams, one of the famous women in history, was the wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams. She is one of the most well-documented First Ladies, and is remembered for her extensive letter writing with her husband while he was away at the Continental Congress. Her husband often sought her advice, and her letters are an eyewitness to the Revolution home front.
WHY WE LOVE HER: Abigail was born into a Congressional family in Massachusetts, and was a sickly child, meaning she received no formal education. However her mother taught her to read, write, and cipher, and her father’s library allowed her access to English and French literature. She was incredibly open-minded and her views helped to shape early United States policy. Abigail and John married on October 25, 1764, after her mother gave into the match. Over the course of ten years, Abigail had six children. Although John’s career often separated them, their letters, of which there are more than 1,200, attest to their intellectual and emotional bond. When her husband was elected president, she became even more active in politics, and her opponents referred to her as Mrs. President. She was a strong advocate for women’s rights, looking to expand property ownership rights and the right to formal education. She also decried slavery as evil and a threat to American democracy.
FUN FACT: Abigail is perhaps best remembered for her reminding her husband to not forget the ladies, however the full quote reads, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to forment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice or Representation.” She turned the words of the revolutionaries – “no taxation without representation – against the men who wanted to exclude women from public life. Now that is how famous women in history get stuff done!
