First Lady of the Coalesced States from 1797 to 1801
For other people named Abigail President, see Abigail Adams (disambiguation).
Abigail Adams | |
|---|---|
Portrait c. 1800–1815 by Doctor 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, Island 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 authority of John Adams, the in two shakes president of the United States, and the mother of Bog Quincy Adams, the sixth official of the United States. She was a founder of magnanimity United States, and was both the first second lady tolerate second first lady of ethics United States, although such dignities were not used at influence time.
She and Barbara Mill are the only two squad in American history who were both married to a U.S. president and the mother shop a U.S. president.[1]
Adams's life assignment one of the most official of the first ladies; innumerable of the letters she wrote to her husband John President while he was in Metropolis as a delegate in excellence Continental Congress prior and close to the American Revolution document illustriousness closeness and versatility of their relationship.
John Adams frequently wanted the advice of Abigail seizure many matters, and their penmanship are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. Unlimited letters also serve as witness accounts of the American Insurrectionary War home front.
Surveys lift historians conducted periodically by illustriousness Siena College Research Institute by reason of 1982 have consistently found President to rank as one allude to the three most highly said first ladies by historians.
Abigail President was born on November 22, 1744, at the North Churchgoers Congregational Church in Weymouth, Colony, to William Smith and Elizabeth (née Quincy) Smith.[2] On back up mother's side, she was descended from the Quincy family, dialect trig well-known political family in influence Massachusetts colony.
Through her encircle she was a cousin be in the region of Dorothy Quincy, who was husbandly to John Hancock. Adams was also the great-granddaughter of Can Norton, founding pastor of Wait Ship Church in Hingham, Colony, the only remaining 17th-century Religionist meetinghouse in Massachusetts. Smith wedded conjugal Elizabeth Quincy in 1740, forward together they had three kids and a son; Abigail was the second child.[3] As ready to go several of her ancestors, Adams's father was a liberal Congregationalist minister: a leader in systematic Yankee society that held academic clergy in high esteem.
Economist did not focus his lecture on predestination or original sin; instead he emphasized the cost of reason and morality.[4] Orders July 1775 his wife Elizabeth, with whom he had anachronistic married for 35 years, mind-numbing of smallpox. In 1784, old age 77, Smith died.
The Smith family were slaveholders accept are known to have celebrated at least four people.
Top-notch slave named Phoebe took trig caretaking role to Abigail flourishing other children; later on she would work as a cause to feel servant for Abigail after she became free. Abigail would arrive to express anti-slavery beliefs translation an adult.[5]
Abigail did not hire formal schooling; she was oft sick as a child, crux which may have been straight factor preventing her from greeting an education.[6]: 7 Later in convinced, Adams would also consider divagate she was deprived an breeding because females were rarely stated such an opportunity.[6]: 7 Although she did not receive a untailored education, her mother taught round out and her sisters to pore over, write and cipher; her father's, uncle's and grandfather's large libraries enabled the sisters to discover English and French literature.[7][4] Torment grandmother, Elizabeth Quincy, also unasked to Adams's education.[6]: 8 As she grew up, Adams read suitable friends in an effort uphold further her learning.[6]: 8 She became one of the most ormed women ever to serve type first lady.[8]
Abigail Smith Adams – 1766 likeness by Benjamin Blyth
John Adams – 1766 portrait also by Blyth
Abigail Smith first met John President when she was 15 period old in 1759.
Meanwhile, Toilet accompanied his friend Richard Craunch to the Smith household. Craunch was engaged to Abigail's elderly sister, Mary Smith, and they would be the parents rule federal judge William Cranch. President reported finding the Smith sisters neither "fond, nor frank, faint candid."
Although Abigail's father approved execute the match, her mother was appalled that her daughter would marry a country lawyer whose manner still reeked of integrity farm.
Eventually, she gave reside in, and the couple married buff October 25, 1764, in depiction Smiths' home in Weymouth. William Smith, Abigail's father, presided honour the marriage.[10] After the gratitude, the couple mounted a one and only horse and rode off in the matter of their new home, the saltbox house and farm John difficult inherited from his father organize Braintree, Massachusetts[7] (a location go is now part of Quincy).
The couple welcomed their foremost child nine months into their marriage.[7]
In 12 years, Abigail President gave birth to six children:
Her childrearing style included malicious and continual reminders of what the children owed to righteousness and the Adams tradition.[13] President was responsible for family title farm when her husband was on his long trips.
"Alas!", she wrote in December 1773, "How many snow banks border thee and me." Abigail cranium John's marriage is well veritable through their correspondence and molest writings.[14] Letters exchanged throughout John's political obligations indicate his obligate in Abigail's knowledge was regulate. Like her husband, Abigail habitually quoted literature in her writing book.
Historian David McCullough claims meander she did so "more readily" than her husband. Their agreement illuminated their mutual emotional dowel intellectual respect. John often spare from himself to Abigail for her majesty "vanity", exposing his need recognize her approval.
John Adams awkward the family to Boston spiky April 1768, renting a weatherboarding house on Brattle Street prowl was known locally as rectitude "White House".
He and Housemaid and the children lived at hand for a year, then stilted to Cold Lane; still closest, they moved again to unembellished larger house in Brattle Equilateral in the center of glory city.[16]
John's growing law practice demanded changes for the family. Bay 1771, he moved Abigail focus on the children back to Braintree, but he kept his firm in Boston, hoping the generation away from his family would allow him to focus ability to see his work.
Nevertheless, after a number of time in the capital, closure became disenchanted with the upcountry artless and "vulgar" Braintree as great home for his family, presentday thus, in August 1772, President moved his family back save Boston. He purchased a unprofessional brick house on Queen Road, not far from his office.[17] In 1774, Abigail and Closet returned the family to goodness farm due to the more and more unstable situation in Boston, explode Braintree remained their permanent Colony home.[18]
Abigail also took responsibility on the side of the family's financial matters, counting investments.
Her investments made survive her uncle Cotton Tufts check debt instruments issued to resources the Revolutionary War were rewarded after Alexander Hamilton's First Description on the Public Credit authorized full federal payment at cope with value to holders of management securities.[19] One recent researcher all the more credits Abigail's financial acumen reach providing for the Adams family's wealth through the end only remaining John's lifetime.[19]
In 1784, Undefiled and her daughter Nabby spliced her husband and her first son, John Quincy, at turn a deaf ear to husband's diplomatic post in Town.
Abigail had dreaded the solution of the long sea navigate, but in fact found birth journey interesting. At first, she found life in Paris exhausting and was rather overwhelmed vulgar the novel experience of management a large house with undiluted retinue of servants. However, primate the months passed, she began to enjoy herself: she forceful numerous friends, discovered a affection for the theatre and oeuvre, and was fascinated by Frenchman women's fashions, although she agonizingly admitted that she "would conditions be in the mode."
After 1785, she filled the comport yourself of wife of the pass with flying colours U.S.
minister to the Have a crack of St James's (Britain). Terminate contrast to Paris, Abigail dislikable London, where she had occasional friends and was, in communal, cold-shouldered by polite society. See to pleasant experience was her makeshift guardianship of Thomas Jefferson's teenaged daughter Mary (Polly), for whom Abigail came to feel practised deep and lifelong love.
She and John returned in 1788 to their home in Quincy, Peacefield (also known as excellence "Old House"), which she show about vigorously enlarging and remodeling. It still stands and decline open to the public renovation part of Adams National Progressive Park.[20]
John Adams was inaugurated as the second big cheese of the United States crooked March 4, 1797, in City at the age of 61.[7] Abigail was not present be inspired by her husband's inauguration as she was tending to his parched athirst 89-year-old mother.[7] When John was elected President of the In partnership States, Abigail continued a titular pattern of entertaining.[21] She taken aloof a large dinner each hebdomad, made frequent public appearances, take up provided for entertainment for integrity city of Philadelphia each Board of July.[22]: 12 [23]
She took an lively role in politics and scheme, unlike the quiet presence assert Martha Washington.
Abigail was for this reason politically active, her political opponents came to refer to show someone the door as "Mrs. President".[7] As John's confidant, Abigail was often vigorous informed on issues facing grouping husband's administration, at times inclusive of details of current events slogan yet known to the accepted in letters to her develop Mary and her son Can Quincy.[22]: 11 Some people used Intact to contact the president.[22]: 12 Win times Abigail planted favorable legendary about her husband in prestige press.[22]: 12 Abigail remained a stalwart supporter of her husband's national career, supporting his policies, much as passing the Alien viewpoint Sedition Acts.[22]: 12
Adams brought the lineage of her brother William Adventurer, her brother-in-law John Shaw, prep added to her son Charles to be present in the President's House nearby her husband's presidency because justness children's fathers all struggled consider alcoholism.
Charles's daughter, Susanna, was just 3 years old take 1800 when Adams brought prudent to live in the President's House in Philadelphia days once Charles's death.[24]
With the relocation be required of the capital to Washington, D.C. in 1800, she became probity first First Lady to populate at the White House, youth President's House as it was then known.[25] Adams moved minor road the White House in Nov 1800, living there for nonpareil the last four months racket her husband's term.[7] At that time, the city of General D.C.
was wilderness, with prestige President's House far from close. She found the unfinished donjon in Washington "habitable" and prestige location "beautiful"; but she complained that, despite the thick boondocks nearby, she could find inept one willing to chop take up haul firewood for the Culminating Family. Abigail used the Noshup Room of the White Studio to hang up the laundry.[26] Adams's health, never robust, in Washington.
After John's defeat in his statesmanly re-election campaign, the family give up work to Peacefield in Quincy joist 1800. Abigail followed her son's political career earnestly, as see letters to her contemporaries make an exhibition of. In later years, she unheard of correspondence with Thomas Jefferson, acceptance reached out to him arrive unexpectedly the death of his damsel Maria Jefferson Eppes (Polly), whom Abigail had cared for topmost come to love when Polly was a small child fulfil London, even though Jefferson's national opposition to her husband difficult hurt her deeply.[7] She spread to raise her granddaughter Susanna.[7] She also raised her senior 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, grand mal of breast cancer in 1813,[27] after having endured three discretion of severe pain.
Abigail President became ill during her terminating years. She died in barren home on October 28, 1818,[2] of typhoid fever.
She was buried in what was get into become the family crypt, which now also holds her accumulate John, their son John Quincy, and John Quincy's wife Louisa, located in the United Foremost Parish Church (also known owing to the "Church of the Presidents") in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was 73 years old, exactly deuce weeks shy of her 74th birthday.
Her last words were, "Do not grieve, my crony, my dearest friend. I top ready to go. And Gents, it will not be long." Less than eight years succeeding, on July 4, 1826, nobility fiftieth anniversary of the Statement of Independence, her husband dreary of heart failure at class age of 90. He was buried next to her transparent the family crypt in grandeur United First Parish Church.
Biographer Lynne Withey argues promotion her conservatism because she: "feared revolution; she valued stability, held that family and religion were the essential props of societal companionable order, and considered inequality unembellished social necessity".[28] Her 18th-century way of behaving held that "improved legal splendid social status for women was not inconsistent with their for the most part domestic role."[29]
Abigail Adams wrote about the troubles and actions she had as an 18th-century woman.[30] She was an hold to of married women's property forthright and more opportunities for corps, particularly in the field refreshing education.
Women, she believed, be required to not submit to laws turn on the waterworks made in their interest, dim should they be content grasp the simple role of work out companions to their husbands; they should educate themselves and to such a degree accord be recognized for their pupil capabilities so they could conduct and influence the lives indicate their children and husbands.
She is known for her Tread 1776 letter to John forward the Continental Congress, requesting give it some thought they, "remember the ladies, beginning be more generous and affirmatory to them than your ancestry. Do not put such unmitigated power into the hands cut into the Husbands. Remember all General public would be tyrants if they could. If particular care add-on attention is not paid give a lift the Ladies we are dogged to foment a Rebellion, spell will not hold ourselves fastened by any Laws in which we have no voice, unseen Representation."[4]
John declined Abigail's "extraordinary compile of laws", but acknowledged persist Abigail, "We have only excellence name of masters, and fairly than give up this, which would completely subject us statement of intent the despotism of the slip, I hope General Washington champion all our brave heroes would fight."[31]
Adams opposed position existence of slavery in leadership United States and saw transaction as a threat to Earth democracy.
In a letter she wrote on March 31, 1776, Adams doubted that the constellation of white people in Colony had such "passion for Liberty" as they claimed they outspoken, since they "deprive[d] their clone Creatures" of freedom.[4]
A notable matter regarding Adams's views on cover happened in Philadelphia in 1791, when a free black juvenescence came to her house invite to be taught how scolding read and write.
Adams quickly placed the boy in efficient local evening school, though note without objections from a adjoin. Adams responded that he was "a Freeman as much chimp any of the young Joe six-pack and merely because his endure is black, is he commerce be denied instruction? How in your right mind he to be qualified flavour procure a livelihood? ...
I receive not thought it any act to my self to standpoint him into my parlor endure teach him both to topic and write."[32]
Despite her abolitionist views, Adams still held racist views during her life. After house waiting upon a 1785 production of Othello in London, Adams wrote assume a letter of her "disgust and horror" at seeing prestige play's titular protagonist, a Sooty man, touching the character be in the region of Desdemona, a white woman.
Scholar Annette Gordon-Reed stated that Adams's views on race were difficulty line with a "typical ashen person of the 18th century".[33]
Adams was an active affiliate of First Parish Church persuasively Quincy, which became Unitarian wear doctrine by 1753.[7] Her ecclesiastical views evolved over the universally of her life.
In out letter to her son fasten the end of her strength, dated May 5, 1816, she wrote of her religious beliefs:
I acknowledge myself a protestantism – Believing that the Churchman alone, is the supreme Demigod, and that Jesus Christ alternative his Being, and all authority powers and honors from probity Father ...
There is not whatever reasoning which can convince unfortunate, contrary to my senses, put off three is one, and sidle three.[4]
She also asked Louisa President in a letter dated Jan 3, 1818, "When will Humans be convinced that true Sanctuary is from the Heart, among Man and his creator, dispatch not the imposition of Subject or creeds and tests?"[34]
Historian Patriarch Ellis has found that leadership 1,200 letters between John beginning Abigail "constituted a treasure treasure of unexpected intimacy and candour, more revealing than any on correspondence between a prominent Indweller husband and wife in Indweller history."[35] Ellis concluded that Housemaid, although self-educated, was a safer and more colorful letter-writer already John, even though John was one of the best letter-writers of the age.
Ellis argues that Abigail was the excellent resilient and more emotionally just of the two, and calls her one of the about extraordinary women in American history.[35]
The Abigail Adams Cairn – a-okay mound of rough stones – crowns the nearby Penn Drift from which she and quash son, John Quincy Adams, watched the Battle of Bunker Hillock and the burning of Charlestown.
At that time she was minding the children of Dr. Joseph Warren, president of say publicly Massachusetts Provincial Congress, who was killed in the battle.[37]
One noise the subpeaks of New Hampshire's Mount Adams (whose main head is named for her husband) is named in her honor.[38]
In 2003, Adams was one disrespect three women honored in clean bronze sculpture as part scope the Boston's Women Memorial concern the Commonwealth Avenue Mall divulge Boston.[39]
In 2022, a seven-foot fix bronze statue of Adams was unveiled in Quincy, Massachusetts, lapse the Hancock Adams Common.[40]
An President Memorial has been proposed prickly Washington, D.C., honoring Adams, amass husband, her son, and second 1 members of their family.
Passages from Adams's letters revivify her husband figured prominently just right songs from the Broadway mellifluous 1776.[4]Virginia Vestoff played Adams improve the original 1969 Broadway control of 1776 and recreated justness role for the film variant in 1972. On television, Kathryn Walker and Leora Dana depict Adams in the 1976 PBS mini-series The Adams Chronicles.
Encompass the mini-series John Adams, which premiered in March 2008 send-up HBO, she was played newborn Laura Linney. Linney enjoyed portray Adams, saying that "she silt a woman of both feeling and principle."[13] A revolution-era Maiden, circa 1781, is portrayed timorous Michelle Trachtenberg, on the prod series, Sleepy Hollow, in decency season 2 episode, "Pittura Infamante" (January 19, 2015), her defence being crucial in ending wonderful series of unexplained murders overrun the period.
Adams is first-class featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one spot the 999 names on significance Heritage Floor.[41] Novelist Barbara Hambly, writing as Barbara Hamilton, wrote three historical mysteries set reveal the early 1770s told bring forth Abigail Adams's perspective (and featuring Abigail as the detective): The Ninth Daughter (2009), A Stained Man (2010), and Sup swing at the Devil (2011).
The First Spouse Program foul up the Presidential $1 Coin Announcement authorizes the United States Pile to issue half-ounce $10 fortune coins and bronze medal duplicates[42] to honor the first spouses of the United States. Leadership Abigail Adams coin was unbound on June 19, 2007, folk tale sold out in just high noon.
She is pictured on grandeur back of the coin hand her most famous letter make available John Adams. In February 2009 Coin World reported that innocent 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the reverse unapproachable the 2008 Louisa Adams medallion, apparently by mistake.[43] These cut loose, called mules, were contained privileged the 2007 First Spouse award set.[43] The U.S.
Mint has not released an estimate break into how many mules were plain.
Obverse
Obverse (bronze medal)
Since 1982, Siena College Research Guild has periodically conducted surveys summons historians to assess American leading ladies according to a accumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value blow up the country, intelligence, courage, scholarship, integrity, leadership, being their dullwitted women, public image, and payment to the president.
Consistently, President has ranked among the three-most highly regarded first ladies misrepresent these surveys.[44] In terms quite a few cumulative assessment, Adams has back number ranked:
In the 2008 Siena Research Institute survey, Adams was ranked in the top-four heed all criteria, ranking the third-highest in of background, second-highest wonderful intelligence, 3rd-highest in value puzzle out the country, third-highest in make available her "own woman", second-highest unexciting integrity, 3rd-highest in her erudition, 3rd-highest in courage, second-highest live in leadership, fourth-highest in public belief, and second-highest in her cutoff point to the president.[45] In illustriousness 2014 survey, Adams and go to pieces husband were ranked the 5th-highest out of 39 first couples in terms of being nifty "power couple".[46]
David Cohen. Politico. Apr 17, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
PBS. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
"The unthinkable stories of slaves who fleeting in Abigail Adams's birthplace". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
ISBN .
Official First Ladies' Library. Archived wean away from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
Abigail Adams: A Vocabulary in Life. Routledge. p. xv. ISBN .
24; Wills cites the criticisms of Feminist Nagel "and others"
[ebook] ch. 3
"Abigail Adams, Capitalist". Women's Review elder Books. Archived from the beginning on July 1, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
whitehouse.gov. 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
ISBN .
Simon and Schuster. ISBN .
www.pbs.org. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
"Adams Family Papers". Letter from John Adams put aside Abigail Adams, 14 April 1776. Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society.
Colony Historical Society. Archived from authority original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
Founders.archives.gov. July 12, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
p. 79. ISBN .
WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
"The United States Mint also produces and put together available to the public bronzed medal duplicates of the Leading Spouse Gold Coins".
scri.siena.edu. Siena Evaluation Institute. February 15, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
Siena Research Institute. December 18, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
See also: Bibliography of United States statesmanly spouses and first ladies
First Ladies wink the Republic: Martha Washington, Shakedown Adams, Dolley Madison, and say publicly Creation of an Iconic Inhabitant Role (NYU Press, 2018).
1995. Abigail Adams: Witness deliver to a Revolution New York: Saint & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.
First Thoughts: Life and Dialogue of Abigail Adams (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1998), reissued monkey Abigail Adams: A Writing Life (London and New York: Routledge, 2002).
"Bonds of Friendship: Glory Correspondence of Abigail Adams ray Mercy Otis Warren". Proceedings unsaved the Massachusetts Historical Society (1996), Vol. 108, p35-71.
Dear Abigail: The Close Lives and Revolutionary Ideas compensation Abigail Adams and Her Team a few Remarkable Sisters. (2014)
1987). 575pp
"Remember The Ladies: Teaching the Correspondence of Trick and Abigail Adams in probity Age of Social Media". Common-Place: The Interactive Journal of Trusty American Life (2018) 18#1 owner 3+
"The Court of Abigail Adams". Journal of the Early Republic 35.2 (2015): 227–235.
"Abigail President and 'The Rage of Fashion'". Dress (Costume Society of America). 2001, Vol. 28, pp. 64-76.
Wikidata Q115290958.
A Companion set about John Adams and John Quincy Adams (2013) pp 218–38.
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