First Lady Abigail Adams

Image by Gilbert Stuart via Encylopædia Britannica

Hey, it's Charity! Sorry for being MIA. I've been busy with school-related stuff and was out last week.

Anyway, today's woman played a crucial role in American history. She is one of the only two First Ladies who ended up having a son assume the presidency.

Please welcome (DRUMROLL PLEASE)...

FIRST LADY ABIGAIL ADAMS! This feisty female was the second-ever First Lady of the United States of America and ended up being the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president.

It's so good to have you here today, Mrs. Adams.

Thank you, Charity. It was so kind of you to invite me.

Could you tell us a little bit about your early life?

Certainly. I was born on November 11, 1744 (that would be November 22 for you, Charity) to William Smith, a Congregational minister, and Elizabeth Quincy Smith. I was the second of four children. I had a love for learning and ended up teaching myself from my father's extensive library.

You were self-educated? Wow! How did you meet your husband?

Well, we were third cousins and had known each other since childhood. In 1761, John and I chanced to meet at a social gathering and fell in love. We were married three years later on October 25, 1764. Father did not initially approve of our marriage because John was a lawyer and therefore his prospects were inadequate, yet he still officiated the ceremony. I remember dearly one moment when he cited a passage from the book of Luke: "John came neither eating bread nor drinking wine and some say he has a devil in him." *laughs softly*

Okay, that's funny. I'm assuming all went well afterward, correct?

Yes. I remained very supportive of my husband, even when my loyalty was tried during what you call the American Revolutionary War.

How so?

I assume you know about the Boston Massacre? Well, my husband chose to defend eight British soldiers who were involved in that bloody event. Needless to say, it was not popular among the Patriots. I chose to support John's controversial decision no matter the consequences.

Wow. That must've taken a lot of courage. I know he was later very involved in the founding of the United States of America as a member of the Continental Congress, and later a representative of America for France. What was your life like then?

My life was not easy, that is for certain. I managed the second decade of my marriage all on my own. But I was proud of him.

I can imagine! What was your life like as Second Lady, and then First Lady?

It was busy. As the Second Lady, I helped Mrs. Washington entertain guests and be a good hostess in general. My life was similar when I was the First Lady. I would also involve myself in debates. I was the very first First Lady to live in the new capital, Washington, District of Colombia, or, as it is now more frequently known in your time, Washington, D.C.

I've got one last question before we run out of time. First of all, what is your opinion on women's rights and slavery?

I strongly support women's rights. When the Declaration of Independence was being drafted, I wrote to him asking him to "remember the ladies and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors." As for slavery, I believe it ought to be abolished. I think that those we call "slaves" have just as much of a right to freedom as do we.

And that is all. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Adams. *turns to the readers* And there you have it! Please give a round of applause for this amazing woman! *wild applause*

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Bibliography

“Abigail Adams Biography.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Apr. 2014, https://www.biography.com/history-culture/abigail-adams.

“Abigail Adams.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 30 Apr. 2015, https://www.nps.gov/adam/learn/historyculture/abigail-adams-1744-1818.htm.

Caroli, Betty Boyd. “Abigail Adams.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abigail-Adams.