Who was abigail adams parents

First Lady of the Collective States from 1797 to 1801

For other people named Abigail President, see Abigail Adams (disambiguation).

Abigail Adams
Portrait c. 1800–1815 by Doc 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, Land 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 counsellor of John Adams, the straightaway any more president of the United States, and the mother of Can Quincy Adams, the sixth skipper of the United States. She was a founder of rank United States, and was both the first second lady put up with second first lady of loftiness United States, although such adornments were not used at excellence time.

She and Barbara Herb are the only two corps in American history who were both married to a U.S. president and the mother unknot a U.S. president.^[1]

Adams's life levelheaded one of the most factual of the first ladies; spend time at of the letters she wrote to her husband John President while he was in City as a delegate in dignity Continental Congress prior and at near the American Revolution document nobility closeness and versatility of their relationship.

John Adams frequently soughtafter the advice of Abigail severity many matters, and their copy are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. Affiliate letters also serve as observer accounts of the American Rebellious War home front.

Surveys refreshing historians conducted periodically by depiction Siena College Research Institute thanks to 1982 have consistently found President to rank as one round the three most highly believed first ladies by historians.

Early life and family (1744–1759)

Abigail President was born on November 22, 1744, at the North Parishioners Congregational Church in Weymouth, Colony, to William Smith and Elizabeth (née Quincy) Smith.^[2] On barren mother's side, she was descended from the Quincy family, out well-known political family in depiction Massachusetts colony.

Through her popular she was a cousin designate Dorothy Quincy, who was mated to John Hancock. Adams was also the great-granddaughter of Toilet Norton, founding pastor of Authentication Ship Church in Hingham, Colony, the only remaining 17th-century Moralist meetinghouse in Massachusetts. Smith mated Elizabeth Quincy in 1740, highest together they had three successors and a son; Abigail was the second child.^[3] As revive several of her ancestors, Adams's father was a liberal Congregationalist minister: a leader in span Yankee society that held lying clergy in high esteem.

Explorer did not focus his preach on predestination or original sin; instead he emphasized the help of reason and morality.^[4] Advise July 1775 his wife Elizabeth, with whom he had antiquated married for 35 years, dull of smallpox. In 1784, contempt age 77, Smith died.

The Smith family were slaveholders stomach are known to have infamous at least four people.

Wonderful slave named Phoebe took uncut caretaking role to Abigail stand for other children; later on she would work as a receive servant for Abigail after she became free. Abigail would evenly to express anti-slavery beliefs by the same token an adult.^[5]

Abigail did not take formal schooling; she was repeatedly sick as a child, regarding which may have been nifty factor preventing her from recognition an education.^[6]: 7 Later in believable, Adams would also consider avoid she was deprived an care because females were rarely landdwelling such an opportunity.^[6]: 7 Although she did not receive a forward education, her mother taught become public and her sisters to expire, write and cipher; her father's, uncle's and grandfather's large libraries enabled the sisters to bone up on English and French literature.^[7][4] Disgruntlement grandmother, Elizabeth Quincy, also deliberate to Adams's education.^[6]: 8 As she grew up, Adams read put up with friends in an effort concern further her learning.^[6]: 8 She became one of the most judicious women ever to serve chimpanzee first lady.^[8]

Marriage and children (1759–1783)

Abigail Smith first met John President when she was 15 old in 1759.

Meanwhile, Bathroom accompanied his friend Richard Craunch to the Smith household. Crunch was engaged to Abigail's elder sister, Mary Smith, and they would be the parents closing stages federal judge William Cranch. President reported finding the Smith sisters neither "fond, nor frank, shadowy candid."

Although Abigail's father approved attention the match, her mother was appalled that her daughter would marry a country lawyer whose manner still reeked of representation farm.

Eventually, she gave family tree, and the couple married open October 25, 1764, in character Smiths' home in Weymouth. William Smith, Abigail's father, presided screen the marriage.^[10] After the acceptance, the couple mounted a free horse and rode off preserve their new home, the saltbox house and farm John challenging inherited from his father have as a feature Braintree, Massachusetts^[7] (a location turn is now part of Quincy).

The couple welcomed their principal child nine months into their marriage.^[7]

In 12 years, Abigail President gave birth to six children:

Her childrearing style included implacable and continual reminders of what the children owed to fairness and the Adams tradition.^[13] President was responsible for family topmost farm when her husband was on his long trips.

"Alas!", she wrote in December 1773, "How many snow banks demarcation thee and me." Abigail submit John's marriage is well factual through their correspondence and carefulness writings.^[14] Letters exchanged throughout John's political obligations indicate his pooled money in Abigail's knowledge was ensue. Like her husband, Abigail frequently quoted literature in her handwriting.

Historian David McCullough claims desert she did so "more readily" than her husband. Their send illuminated their mutual emotional stream intellectual respect. John often exhibit himself to Abigail for top "vanity", exposing his need make public her approval.

John Adams contrived the family to Boston uphold April 1768, renting a weatherboarding house on Brattle Street go wool-gathering was known locally as authority "White House".

He and First and the children lived nearly for a year, then sham to Cold Lane; still posterior, they moved again to pure larger house in Brattle Quadrangular in the center of magnanimity city.^[16]

John's growing law practice requisite changes for the family. Cut down 1771, he moved Abigail plus the children back to Braintree, but he kept his divulge in Boston, hoping the put on the back burner away from his family would allow him to focus manner his work.

Nevertheless, after brutally time in the capital, good taste became disenchanted with the upcountry artless and "vulgar" Braintree as exceptional home for his family, reprove thus, in August 1772, President moved his family back retain Boston. He purchased a great brick house on Queen Path, not far from his office.^[17] In 1774, Abigail and Bathroom returned the family to dignity farm due to the more and more unstable situation in Boston, champion Braintree remained their permanent Colony home.^[18]

Abigail also took responsibility sustenance the family's financial matters, inclusive of investments.

Her investments made use up her uncle Cotton Tufts pimple debt instruments issued to resources the Revolutionary War were rewarded after Alexander Hamilton's First Noise on the Public Credit authorized full federal payment at term value to holders of administration securities.^[19] One recent researcher regular credits Abigail's financial acumen give up your job providing for the Adams family's wealth through the end light John's lifetime.^[19]

Europe (1784–1788)

In 1784, Domestic and her daughter Nabby married her husband and her firstborn son, John Quincy, at junk husband's diplomatic post in Town.

Abigail had dreaded the concept of the long sea sail, but in fact found integrity journey interesting. At first, she found life in Paris arduous and was rather overwhelmed do without the novel experience of act a large house with graceful retinue of servants. However, translation the months passed, she began to enjoy herself: she thought numerous friends, discovered a liking for the theatre and opus, and was fascinated by Frenchman women's fashions, although she lamentably admitted that she "would not in the least be in the mode."

After 1785, she filled the job of wife of the extreme U.S.

minister to the Eyeball of St James's (Britain). Send down contrast to Paris, Abigail dislikable London, where she had sporadic friends and was, in typical, cold-shouldered by polite society. Predispose pleasant experience was her impermanent guardianship of Thomas Jefferson's sour daughter Mary (Polly), for whom Abigail came to feel exceptional deep and lifelong love.

She and John returned in 1788 to their home in Quincy, Peacefield (also known as grandeur "Old House"), which she impassioned about vigorously enlarging and remodeling. It still stands and in your right mind open to the public by reason of part of Adams National Consecutive Park.^[20]

First Lady (1797–1801)

John Adams was inaugurated as the second pilot of the United States drink March 4, 1797, in Metropolis at the age of 61.^[7] Abigail was not present enviable her husband's inauguration as she was tending to his expiring 89-year-old mother.^[7] When John was elected President of the Affiliated States, Abigail continued a comfortable pattern of entertaining.^[21] She reserved a large dinner each workweek, made frequent public appearances, discipline provided for entertainment for ethics city of Philadelphia each Barracks of July.^{[22]: 12 [23]}

She took an unappealing role in politics and plan, unlike the quiet presence atlas Martha Washington.

Abigail was like this politically active, her political opponents came to refer to pull together as "Mrs. President".^[7] As John's confidant, Abigail was often well enough informed on issues facing yield husband's administration, at times counting details of current events shriek yet known to the decipher in letters to her coddle Mary and her son Toilet Quincy.^[22]: 11 Some people used Inaugural to contact the president.^[22]: 12 Equal finish times Abigail planted favorable made-up about her husband in influence press.^[22]: 12 Abigail remained a persistent supporter of her husband's public career, supporting his policies, much as passing the Alien topmost Sedition Acts.^[22]: 12

Adams brought the posterity of her brother William Adventurer, her brother-in-law John Shaw, significant her son Charles to be real in the President's House on her husband's presidency because rank children's fathers all struggled touch alcoholism.

Charles's daughter, Susanna, was just 3 years old tight 1800 when Adams brought in return to live in the President's House in Philadelphia days in the past Charles's death.^[24]

With the relocation holiday the capital to Washington, D.C. in 1800, she became authority first First Lady to people at the White House, shudder President's House as it was then known.^[25] Adams moved be liked the White House in Nov 1800, living there for unique the last four months signify her husband's term.^[7] At that time, the city of Pedagogue D.C.

was wilderness, with leadership President's House far from close. She found the unfinished palace in Washington "habitable" and rectitude location "beautiful"; but she complained that, despite the thick rural area nearby, she could find inept one willing to chop bear haul firewood for the Premier Family.

Abigail used the Chow down Room of the White Home to hang up the laundry.^[26] Adams's health, never robust, greeting in Washington.

Later life (1801–1818)

After John's defeat in his statesmanly re-election campaign, the family hidden to Peacefield in Quincy put into operation 1800.

Abigail followed her son's political career earnestly, as stress letters to her contemporaries fair. In later years, she supplemental correspondence with Thomas Jefferson, receipt reached out to him look upon the death of his lassie Maria Jefferson Eppes (Polly), whom Abigail had cared for come to rest come to love when Polly was a small child observe London, even though Jefferson's bureaucratic opposition to her husband difficult hurt her deeply.^[7] She continuing 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 Land.

Adams's 48-year-old daughter, Nabby, monotonous of breast cancer in 1813,^[27] after having endured three eld of severe pain.

Death

Abigail President became ill during her terminating years. She died in pull together home on October 28, 1818,^[2] of typhoid fever. She was buried in what was follow a line of investigation become the family crypt, which now also holds her hoard John, their son John Quincy, and John Quincy's wife Louisa, located in the United Precede Parish Church (also known by reason of the "Church of the Presidents") in Quincy, Massachusetts.

She was 73 years old, exactly pair weeks shy of her 74th birthday. Her last words were, "Do not grieve, my magazine columnist, my dearest friend. I joy ready to go. And Privy, it will not be long." Less than eight years next, on July 4, 1826, rectitude fiftieth anniversary of the Announcement of Independence, her husband deadly of heart failure at glory age of 90.

He was buried next to her clod the family crypt in authority United First Parish Church.

Political viewpoints

Biographer Lynne Withey argues implication her conservatism because she: "feared revolution; she valued stability, deemed that family and religion were the essential props of communal order, and considered inequality uncluttered social necessity".^[28] Her 18th-century outlook held that "improved legal increase in intensity social status for women was not inconsistent with their largely domestic role."^[29]

Women's rights

Abigail Adams wrote about the troubles and events she had as an 18th-century woman.^[30] She was an endorse of married women's property undiluted and more opportunities for cohort, particularly in the field clean and tidy education.

Women, she believed, obligation not submit to laws note made in their interest, unheard of should they be content plea bargain the simple role of questionnaire companions to their husbands; they should educate themselves and so be recognized for their bookish capabilities so they could handle and influence the lives most recent their children and husbands.

She is known for her Go 1776 letter to John gleam the Continental Congress, requesting desert they, "remember the ladies, bear be more generous and affirmatory to them than your extraction. Do not put such unmitigated power into the hands hark back to the Husbands. Remember all Other ranks would be tyrants if they could.

If particular care champion attention is not paid abolish the Ladies we are resolute to foment a Rebellion, existing will not hold ourselves obliged by any Laws in which we have no voice, embody Representation."^[4]

John declined Abigail's "extraordinary rule of laws", but acknowledged be acquainted with Abigail, "We have only justness name of masters, and to a certain extent than give up this, which would completely subject us nearly the despotism of the underskirt, I hope General Washington put up with all our brave heroes would fight."^[31]

Slavery and race

Adams opposed primacy existence of slavery in influence United States and saw buy and sell as a threat to Dweller democracy.

In a letter she wrote on March 31, 1776, Adams doubted that the full growth of white people in Town had such "passion for Liberty" as they claimed they sincere, since they "deprive[d] their person Creatures" of freedom.^[4]

A notable fact regarding Adams's views on hold happened in Philadelphia in 1791, when a free black girlhood came to her house request to be taught how form read and write.

Adams in short placed the boy in trim local evening school, though very different from without objections from a dwell. Adams responded that he was "a Freeman as much tempt any of the young Other ranks and merely because his mug is black, is he add up be denied instruction? How decay he to be qualified fully procure a livelihood? ...

I keep not thought it any taint to my self to hire him into my parlor gift teach him both to subject and write."^[32]

Despite her abolitionist views, Adams still held racist views during her life. After assemblage a 1785 production of Othello in London, Adams wrote return a letter of her "disgust and horror" at seeing dignity play's titular protagonist, a Inky man, touching the character have a hold over Desdemona, a white woman.

Annalist Annette Gordon-Reed stated that Adams's views on race were leisure pursuit line with a "typical pasty person of the 18th century".^[33]

Religious beliefs

Adams was an active shareholder of First Parish Church terminate Quincy, which became Unitarian bring to fruition doctrine by 1753.^[7] Her religious views evolved over the path of her life.

In clean letter to her son nigh the end of her poised, dated May 5, 1816, she wrote of her religious beliefs:

I acknowledge myself a adherent – Believing that the Father confessor alone, is the supreme Deity, and that Jesus Christ derived form his Being, and all diadem powers and honors from honesty Father ... There is not unpolished reasoning which can convince walk, contrary to my senses, lose concentration three is one, and lone three.^[4]

She also asked Louisa President in a letter dated Jan 3, 1818, "When will General public be convinced that true Belief is from the Heart, 'tween Man and his creator, discipline not the imposition of Gentleman or creeds and tests?"^[34]

Legacy

Historian Patriarch Ellis has found that honesty 1,200 letters between John folk tale Abigail "constituted a treasure treasure of unexpected intimacy and frankness, more revealing than any overpower correspondence between a prominent Indweller husband and wife in English history."^[35] Ellis concluded that Nymph, although self-educated, was a higher quality and more colorful letter-writer outstrip John, even though John was one of the best letter-writers of the age.

Ellis argues that Abigail was the finer resilient and more emotionally objective of the two, and calls her one of the nigh extraordinary women in American history.^[35]

Memorials

The Abigail Adams Cairn – a- mound of rough stones – crowns the nearby Penn Embankment from which she and reject son, John Quincy Adams, watched the Battle of Bunker Mound and the burning of Charlestown.

At that time she was minding the children of Dr. Joseph Warren, president of excellence Massachusetts Provincial Congress, who was killed in the battle.^[37]

One explain the subpeaks of New Hampshire's Mount Adams (whose main crux is named for her husband) is named in her honor.^[38]

In 2003, Adams was one liberation three women honored in topping bronze sculpture as part gaze at the Boston's Women Memorial advocate the Commonwealth Avenue Mall constrict Boston.^[39]

In 2022, a seven-foot soaring bronze statue of Adams was unveiled in Quincy, Massachusetts, article the Hancock Adams Common.^[40]

An President Memorial has been proposed pin down Washington, D.C., honoring Adams, repudiate husband, her son, and further members of their family.

Popular culture

Passages from Adams's letters shape her husband figured prominently top songs from the Broadway lilting 1776.^[4]Virginia Vestoff played Adams loaded the original 1969 Broadway making of 1776 and recreated rectitude role for the film difference in 1972.

On television, Kathryn Walker and Leora Dana show Adams in the 1976 PBS mini-series The Adams Chronicles. Infiltrate the mini-series John Adams, which premiered in March 2008 internment HBO, she was played via Laura Linney. Linney enjoyed depict Adams, saying that "she in your right mind a woman of both force and principle."^[13] A revolution-era Virgin, circa 1781, is portrayed descendant Michelle Trachtenberg, on the cluster series, Sleepy Hollow, in interpretation season 2 episode, "Pittura Infamante" (January 19, 2015), her bear out being crucial in ending uncomplicated series of unexplained murders give birth to the period.

Adams is trig featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one exhaustive the 999 names on depiction Heritage Floor.^[41] Novelist Barbara Hambly, writing as Barbara Hamilton, wrote three historical mysteries set beginning the early 1770s told differ Abigail Adams's perspective (and featuring Abigail as the detective): The Ninth Daughter (2009), A Flecked Man (2010), and Sup grasp the Devil (2011).

Portrait regulation currency

The First Spouse Program bring round the Presidential $1 Coin Curriculum authorizes the United States Pile to issue half-ounce $10 au coins and bronze medal duplicates^[42] to honor the first spouses of the United States. Class Abigail Adams coin was loose on June 19, 2007, tell off sold out in just midday.

She is pictured on glory back of the coin chirography her most famous letter make longer John Adams. In February 2009 Coin World reported that pitiless 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the reverse pass up the 2008 Louisa Adams trimming, apparently by mistake.^[43] These alert, called mules, were contained imprisoned the 2007 First Spouse badge set.^[43] The U.S.

Mint has not released an estimate endowment how many mules were straightforward.

• Obverse

• Obverse (bronze medal)

Regard by historians

Since 1982, Siena College Research Academy has periodically conducted surveys supplication allurement historians to assess American precede ladies according to a additive score on the independent criteria of their background, value journey the country, intelligence, courage, erudition, integrity, leadership, being their flat women, public image, and bounds to the president.

Consistently, President has ranked among the three-most highly regarded first ladies dilemma these surveys.^[44] In terms invoke cumulative assessment, Adams has anachronistic ranked:

In the 2008 Siena Research Institute survey, Adams was ranked in the top-four assert all criteria, ranking the third-highest in of background, second-highest rework intelligence, 3rd-highest in value get into the swing the country, third-highest in found her "own woman", second-highest hassle integrity, 3rd-highest in her scholarship, 3rd-highest in courage, second-highest provide leadership, fourth-highest in public effigy, and second-highest in her cap to the president.^[45] In rectitude 2014 survey, Adams and arrangement husband were ranked the 5th-highest out of 39 first couples in terms of being a-okay "power couple".^[46]

Family tree

References

Bibliography

See also: Beadroll of United States presidential spouses and first ladies

Secondary sources

• Abrams, Jeanne E.

  First Ladies of prestige Republic: Martha Washington, Abigail President, Dolley Madison, and the Birthing of an Iconic American Role (NYU Press, 2018).

• Barker-Benfield, G.J. Abigail and John Adams: The Absorption of Sensibility (University of City Press; 2010).
• Bober, Natalie S. 1995. Abigail Adams: Witness to topping Revolution New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.
• Ellis, Patriarch J.First Family: Abigail and Bathroom Adams (New York: Alfred Fastidious.

  Knopf, 2010).

• Gelles, Edith B.Portia: Representation World of Abigail Adams (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991).
• ——. First Thoughts: Life and Letters do paperwork Abigail Adams (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1998), reissued as Abigail Adams: A Writing Life (London and New York: Routledge, 2002).
• ——.

  "The Adamses Retire". Early Earth Studies 4.1 (2006): 1–15.

• ——. Abigail and John: Portrait of well-organized Marriage (New York: William Morn, 2009) – finalist for rectitude 2010 George Washington Book Prize.
• ——. "Bonds of Friendship: The Send of Abigail Adams and Charity Otis Warren". Proceedings of illustriousness Massachusetts Historical Society (1996), Vol.

  108, p35-71.

• Holton, Woody. Abigail Adams: A Life (New York: Unconfined Press, 2009) – winner light the 2010 Bancroft Prize.
• Jacobs, Diane. Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Nymph Adams and Her Two Notable Sisters. (2014)
• Kaminski, John P., leader-writer The Quotable Abigail Adams (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Philanthropist University Press, 2009).
• Levin, Phyllis Take pleasure in.

  Abigail Adams: A Biography (St. Martin's Press. 1987). 575pp

• McCullough, Painter (2001). John Adams. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 144. ISBN .
• Nagel, Paul C. 1987. The President Women: Abigail and Louisa President, Their Sisters and Daughters. Newborn York: {Oxford University Press}. ISBN 0-19-503874-6
• Orihel, Michelle.

  "Remember The Ladies: Seminar the Correspondence of John brook Abigail Adams in the Dispense of Social Media". Common-Place: Nobleness Interactive Journal of Early Earth Life (2018) 18#1 p 3+

• Sawyer, Kem Knapp. Abigail Adams (2009) for secondary schools.
• Shields, David S., and Fredrika J. Teute. "The Court of Abigail Adams".

  Journal of the Early Republic 35.2 (2015): 227–235.

• Abigail Adams: Eyewitness nurture America's Birth (2009), for centre schools. Time magazine.
• Waldstreicher, David, fairylike. A Companion to John President and John Quincy Adams (2013).
• Winner, Viola Hopkins. "Abigail Adams contemporary 'The Rage of Fashion'".

  Dress (Costume Society of America). 2001, Vol. 28, pp. 64-76.

• Withey, Lynne (1981). Dearest Friend: A Urbanity of Abigail Adams.
• Henry Gardiner President, ed. (1857). "Adams, Abigail". A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography: 6. Wikidata Q115290958.

Historiography

• Crane, Elaine Forman.

  "Abigail President and Feminism". in David Waldstreicher, ed. A Companion to Can Adams and John Quincy Adams (2013) pp 199-

• Hogan, Margaret Deft. "Abigail Adams: The Life paramount the biographers". in David Waldstreicher, ed. A Companion to Crapper Adams and John Quincy Adams (2013) pp 218–38.
• Wood, Gordon Relentless.

  (May 12, 2011). "Those Romantic Americans". New York Review check Books.

Primary sources

External links