Abigail Adams and Her Role in The Revolution of Women's Rights

Abigail Adams writes to her husband, John Adams, expressing her concerns on the topic of sexism while John Adams attends the continental congress in 1776. Abigail Adams stays home in Braintree, Massachusttes to watch over the couple’s farm. Abigail continues to be a leader in women’s rights because of the influence she had on the people in the 18th century.

Women rights have had its suffrage rein. Men in the 18th century had the capacity to degrade women by restricting voting rights, unequal work pay (if work was offered), or defend the few rights they had. Although we have made many improvements in the department of sexism, present day women continue to struggle with dissimilar rights from men. Women would not have come this far without strong leaders who went against society’s undocumented regulations in a time of hardship. In the 18th century, in order to gain respect from men you had to be at a higher ranking. The first lady, Abigail Adams, has been one of the most sizeable influencers in feminism and many still look up to her present day. Abigail was the wife of John Adams and mother to John Quincy Adams, Abigail Smith Adams, Charles Adams, Thomas Boylston Adams, and Susana Adams. Her husband, John Adams, became president in 1797, making her the second first lady of the United States which gave her a step up in leadership and the ability to gain the respect from society. Being an advocate of married women’s property rights she had a goal to help those around her whom she knew were internally struggling but could not speak out about it in fear of severe consequences. Abigail was a figurehead for many people at this time, she fought for women’s rights in a tough position, whilst receiving plenty of backlash, but continued to support her case despite the disregard from others. Abigail Adams was born in Weymouth, Massechusettes and later moved to Braintree, Massechusettes with John but during John’s Presidency the two were separated for a considerable amount of their marriage due to John having to attend the continental congress in Philadelphia and his service in Europe. Due to the feeling of separation the two wanted to feel closer so they decided to begin writing letters back and forth.

In 1776 John Adams had left for the Continental Congress held at the Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia. Throughout the couple’s marriage they had written many letters to each other because they were apart so much. The most important of these letters were the ones written on March 31st and April 14th of 1776. In her letter, Abigail wrote to John, she explained her troubles and concerns about being an 18th century women. Women, she believed could not submit to laws not made in their interest, nor should they be content with the simple role of being their husbands companion. In Abigail’s letter on March 31st, 1776 she suggest John to “remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them and your ancestors.” because Abigail had a feeling the continental congress would have a grudge towards women, she wanted to get the thought into Johns head that it's not just women in general it encompasses his loved ones as well. Abigail states that “men are naturally tyrannical”, easing into the fact that at the time men would not have considered women’s rights when in types of meetings like these. Her letters are huge turning points for women’s history, because it seems to be the first account when a woman stands up against the men and beseeching for women’s right to be included or at least mentioned in these congregations. On April 14th, 1776, John Adams writes back to Abigail in reply to her letter he states, sounding almost worried to act out, that “The men of the continental congress know better than to repeal our masculine systems.” It becomes clear that John wants to help his wife, but standing out could be to big of a risk for a man in his position. Although her letter to John may not have solved the issue she was pleading for at the time, it resembled a turning point for women’s history from then on.

The American Revolution provided a reconsideration of all social inequalities, John Adams, being the president, had a lot of say in want to be decided. Women’s rights were scarce at this time in history so Abigail knew she needed to stand up for what she believed in before it was too late. Abigail had a substantial role in the revolution of women's rights today.

References

• About the Correspondence between John and Abigail Adams. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/letter/.
• History.com Editors. (2009, October 27). Abigail Adams. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/abigail-adams.
• History.com Editors. (2009, October 27). John Adams. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-adams.
• The Women's Rights Movement in England: 18th Century and Beyond. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bartleby.com/essay/The-Womens-Rights-Movement-in-England-18th-F3CXZSX73G4Z.
• Married Women's Property Act 1882. (2019, July 23). Retrieved from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_Women's_Property_Act_1882.