The Role of Abigail Adams in The Feminist Movement

Since the early establishment of the United States of America, women have been fighting for equal rights. During the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, Abigail Adams was one of the key figures leading this fight. She believed in a world where just laws existed, laws that allowed men and women to be considered equal to each other. Through the presidency of Abigail's husband, John Adams, she utilized a platform to spread her ideas and turn them into realities. Behind every strong man, there is an even stronger woman, and Abigail Adams was that woman. Despite Abigail Adams’ gender limitations, she was able to have a voice in the government through her letters and outspoken beliefs.

Abigail Adams believed in women having equal rights to men. She is quoted saying, “I will never consent to have our sex considered in an inferior point of light. Let each planet shine in their own orbit. God and nature designed it so- if man is Lord, woman is Lordess - that is what I contend for.” Abigail had very modern social views, at a time when most did not. She would not let her husband define her. John himself considered Abigail his equal; he used her as a sounding board to his new ideas. He would not have enlisted her help if he thought of her as less than himself. Abigail was also not afraid of using her voice. She would publicly declare laws wrong if she had to. During her time there were property laws that gave all control of the property to only the husband. She believed this was evil and wrong, and let it be known. Abigail also advocated for equal education and freeing slaves. While not much happened towards women's rights during her lifetime, her ideas towards equality became realities years later.

Abigail Adams wanted to fight for what was right. In a letter to John, she wrote of the eventual coming of a “female rebellion.” She said this is what would happen if women were not treated fairly under the law. Abigail was strongly against sex injustices and expressed that to John. She also wrote about how men yielded far too much power saying, “all men would be tyrants if they could.” Abigail advocated for women in her letters to John. She asks him to “remember the ladies” when writing new laws, and avoid treating them like past generations of men had. She also wrote editorial letters to family and acquaintances pushing John’s federalist viewpoints upon them. Abigail was a strong force for change, and her elevated position as the first lady gave her all the more power to do so.

Abigail Adams was an independent woman and knew how to take control. During the Continental Congresses and her husband’s political career, John left her to go on work trips for long periods. Abigail never went to school as a child. All she had learned was a small amount of reading and writing taught at home. She had to be able to run the farm and household in Massachusetts alone. This meant Abigail was raising five kids and controlling the money without any spousal help. Abigail turned out to be more profitable and better at managing the family’s money than John. John thought that all investing only switched money from the poor to the rich; it was Abigail who knew that it would make money. According to Massachusetts law, everything owned by the family belonged to John. Abigail carved out one-hundred pounds of sterling and put on the bond market without John. Abigail did not need her husband to be successful. In addition to this, Abigail turned her house into a hospital for wounded soldiers in battle. Abigail managed to take care of everyone and everything, all by herself.

Even though it seemed like Abigail Adams had a strong feminist viewpoint, some of her comments prove otherwise. After Patience Wright’s husband died, she created a wax figure business to earn money. Abigail called her “the queen of sluts.” Abigail also tried to influence fashion to make it more conservative. She believed the popular Napoleonic style of clothing was too revealing and of bad taste. While most of Abigail’s ideas were positive, she like everyone else, had flaws too.

Abigail and John Adams had a good marriage and truly loved each other. John and Abigail initially corresponded through letters before they got married. It is what made them fall in love with each other. They also got to know each other better by discussing the daily newspapers and growing unrest with Great Britain. While their love was strong, John’s various work trips throughout his career caused him and Abigail to be separated. It was hard for Abigail and her kids to deal with John’s absence. There was a time when Abigail was considering joining John (other delegates at the Continental Congress wives accompanied them there). But in the end, she knew that it was hard enough for her children to deal with having one parent gone already, and could not leave them. John later offered to resign as a delegate and come home, but Abigail knew he had to stay. She said, “I found his honor and reputation much dearer to me, than my present pleasure and happiness, and I could by no means consent to his resigning at present, as I was fully convinced he must suffer if he quitted.” Even though John and Abigail were a political couple, the love in their marriage was never fake.

While John loved Abigail, he did not always listen to her. Abigail asked John to give women fair representation in his new laws, to “remember the ladies,” and John laughed at this. After Abigail read the book “A Vindication of the Rights of Women,” John accused her of being a “disciple of Wollstonecraft.” The issues of women rights were something they did not see eye to eye on. Abigail told John during his presidency that he should go to war with France, and he did not. They had different political views sometimes too. The last major issue they fought over was financials. John wanted to buy another farm in Massachusetts, while Abigail wished to invest in junk bonds and Vermont real estate. Abigail wound up doing what she wanted to do. During a time when women were supposed to be submissive to their husbands, Abigail made herself heard and did what she thought was right.

Abigail Adams’ published letters were both important documents in her time and the modern era. Some of Abigail’s letters to John contained information about battles during the American Revolution. They serve as valuable records of colonial America. Other letters of Abigail’s discuss her voyage to Europe and give an insight into what traveling was like in the late 1700s. While the letters were critical primary sources, Abigail did not want them published. When asked why she did not want the letters published, she said that it was not proper for a woman to have her private correspondence open to the public. Abigail later died from illness in 1818, and her son, John Quincy Adams, was elected president, a mere six months later. Decades afterward, one of Abigail’s grandsons saw the worth of the letters and published some of the most famous ones in 1848. It is because of this that Abigail’s letters continue to be saved and read to this day.

Unfortunately, Abigail did receive backlash for the letters too. There was always the fear of the press and political enemies using Abigail’s letters against her. One instance was at a public debate. A man there had read one of Abigail’s private letters. He said that he could not believe how little control John had over his wife. He also said that John needed to get his authority back. Abigail later responded to the incident saying, “I could not believe that any gentleman would have so little delicacy or so small a sense of propriety as to have written a vague opinion and that of a lady, to be read in a public assembly as an authority. That man must have lost his sense.... It will serve as a lesson to me to be upon my guard.” Another time a man named Albert Gallatin spread a story about Abigail using her letters. He said that Abigail must not have been at the white house when John chose some foreign appointees because Abigail would not have approved of them. Abigail was critiqued for playing an active role in the government and having a voice when women were not supposed to.

John and Abigail Adams were against the British rule in America. One major issue they had with it was the taxation, Abigail dealt with this by switching from coffee to tea. It was her way of having a non-violent protest. John dealt with the British rule by serving as delegate in the Continental Congress. He and Abigail considered themselves to be patriots (in opposition to the loyalists). They wanted America to be free from the rule of Great Britain. They were friends with other influential patriots who founded this country like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Abigail also read the book, “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine, and avidly endorsed it. She thought that once people read it they would want independence and she tried to promote the book’s ideas as much as possible. Due to all of the Abigail and John’s anti-British efforts, John was considered a traitor by the British.

Abigail Adams actively contributed to the establishment of America. She was appointed to the Massachusetts Colony General Court. Her job there was to question ladies in the colonies accused of being loyal to the British and working against independence. Abigail worked hard at her job toward the founding of America. In addition to this, she was also a part of the correspondent's network. This was a network of men and women who exchanged news and gossip about issues with the British during the American Revolution. While Abigail’s letters spoke about her views, she also took part in organizations to make real change. Abigail did not let her gender stand in the way of gaining independence from Great Britain.

Abigail Adams’ husband, John, was elected as the second president of the United States of America. John was originally lawyer but gave up his practice to be a part of the Continental Congress. He was a congressional leader who helped form the new American government. Abigail Adams played an important role as his first lady. She saw her role as being hostess to all of America. When Abigail had formal guests, she would seat them in a high figure like they did at Buckingham Palace. Abigail was also the first lady actually to live in the white house. She lived there for four months in the year 1800. She was also one of only two first ladies to be both: wife of a president and mother of a president. Being the First Lady was an important role for Abigail to uphold.

Abigail Adams did a lot to influence John’s views during his presidency. She was a strong supporter of the federalists and did not hide her dislike of the anti-federalists. She was especially against followers of Jefferson publicly attacking John’s Federalist supporters. Abigail did not agree with Thomas Jefferson’s politics but did later wind up forming a friendship with him. After his daughter, Maria died, Abigail wrote a condolence letter, and this formed a bond between the two. Abigail also disliked Alexander Hamilton. She told him that when she looked at him she “looked into the eyes of the devil himself.” She did not like Hamilton controlling the Federalist Party when it was her husband who was president, and not him. Abigail was also fearful of the French Revolution. She was scared of the influence that it would have on the United States. Abigail urged John to go to war with France but was unsuccessful. Lastly, Abigail was very fond of the Washingtons. Abigail was good friends with Martha, who she said was always happy. Abigail was also friends with George and looked up to him. She thought he was a genuinely kind person and an excellent leader. Abigail’s did as much as she could to influence John during his presidency and have her views put into action.

Sometimes John Adams was attacked using Abigail. Some printings said that Abigail was too old to understand the issues the country was facing at hand. This was unfair ridicule as John was nine years older than Abigail, and received no such criticisms. It was a personal attack on Abigail, and most likely targeted her because she was a female who had a strong role in the government. Other times John was attacked for letting his wife control his decisions too much. A lot of people did not see him as very manly. While Abigail tried to do as much good as she could in government, others were always trying to tear her down specifically because of her gender.

Abigail Adams was not upset when her time in the white house came to an end. In the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson, beat her husband, John Adams. This caused her to be very happy because she was “sick, sick, sick, of public life.” Abigail felt that being the first lady was confining. She did not like having to censure everything she said. The only thing Abigail worried about was the actions of the new government. She did not know if it would represent women’s rights or take them away. Abigail Adams played an active in the government for many years and was ready to be done with that part of her life.

Abigail Adams was an outspoken supporter of women's rights. In a time when women were supposed to be silent, she made sure her voice was heard. While Abigail had many barriers standing in her way, she worked her hardest to accomplish her goals. Abigail’s letters and opinions led to her to have an essential role in government and lay the footstones for the feminist movement.