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The Fight for Women's Rights
Abigail Adams herself was not formally educated but she did have big ideas about the government and politics which would later help shape her husband during his presidency. It was also a man's world, so she didn't have the same education, voting, and property rights as men. This fueled Abigail herself to be a be a huge advocator for Women's rights which makes her a silent hero.
In the letter to the right, she explains to John Adams,
"I long to hear that you have declared an independancy—and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation."
His response wasn't supportive at all, instead he writes back, "As to your extraordinary Code of Laws, I cannot but laugh," which she still continued to fight for equal rights.
Although John Adams had his times where he seemed unsupportive, he still sought out advice from Abigail when he needed it and really took her advice to heart. Funny to think that men at that time thought a woman was only good for taking care of the family and house duties, their own president was seeking out help from his wife to see what was best for the country they both loved and cherished.
Education
Along with fighting for voting and property rights for women, Abigail fought for everyone to be equally educated. In one of my favorite letters, Abigail Adams writes on August 14, 1776 to John Adams.
"If you complain of neglect of Education in sons, What shall I say with regard to daughters, who every day experience the want of it. With regard to the Education of my own children, I find myself soon out of my debth, and destitute and deficient in every part of Education. I most sincerely wish that some more liberal plan might be laid and executed for the Benefit of the rising Generation, and that our new constitution may be distinguished for Learning and Virtue. If we mean to have Heroes, Statesmen and Philosophers, we should have learned women. The world perhaps would laugh at me, and accuse me of vanity, But you I know have a mind too enlarged and liberal to disregard the Sentiment. If much depends as is allowed upon the early Education of youth and the first principals which are instilld take the deepest root, great benifit must arise from litirary accomplishments in women."
This little snippet of the letter was an example of what Abigail Adams did her best to fight for. It was another reminder that she didn't care what others though, her intellectual opinions were strong and she had the ability to stand up for her beliefs.
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