Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was a unique women because she had an education and
an interest in politics. She learned how to read and write and
enjoyed poems most. She was also very resourceful by helping her
husband on difficult problems.

Abigail was born on November 11 on the Julian calendar, or
November 22 on the modern Gregorian calendar. Abigail had two sisters
named Mary and Elizabeth or Betsy. She had one brother named William
or Billy. Abigail's name was originally Abigail Smith. Each baby was
baptized on the first Sabbath of its life and was recorded in their
parish records. Abigail live in a comfortable house. When Abigail
was sixteen, her father added a wing that was bigger than the original
building to make room for the children, servants, and visitors. When
I say servants it means that they were probably slaves but were called
servants to avoid the dehumanizing effect that the word 'slave' can
mean. Their house was a sight of luxury in the eyes of the common
folk in the parish. Though they lived well, the Smiths had no
fortune. Abigail's father often worked with his own hands, planting
corn and potatoes, gathering hay, sowing barley, or making sure that
his sheep received proper care. Abigail, with the help of her family
grew a very religious bond between each other and a long lasting
friendship.

Abigail never went to a real school because of poor health. So,
she learned at home. Her father's library was not big, but she still
went to it to read books. Abigail's favorite books were novels by
Samuel Richardson. Abigail's father knew John Adams by working with
him and she grew rather close to him starting a wedding. This now
made her name Abigail Adams. Their wedding was held on October 25,
1764, a month before her twentieth birthday. John was a lawyer and
very often was not at home due to court cases he had to attend to.
When Abigail was pregnant with her first son, John was only at home
for eight out of the nine months. The baby was born on a hot day on
the morning of July 14, 1765. The baby's name was 'Abigail', but was
called Nabby. She was with her parents when she had the baby.
Shortly after, she was again pregnant. July 11, 1767, she delivered a
healthy boy named John Quincy. John Adams soon moved his family to
Boston to be closer to his important clients and the center of
political action. In Boston, Abigail had two more children. one
named Susanna, who died thirteen months later, and Charles who was
born healthy at the end of May 1770. John Adams sent everyone in his
enlarged family back to there old house because of the recent Boston
Massacre happening. While Abigail was there, She had her last son
named Thomas. John soon bought a brick house back in Boston and moved
everyone back in. Abigail started teaching the children to read and
write.

John told Abigail almost everything that he knew and went to her
for political problems. He understood what she could understand and
trusted her. Abigail became the most informed woman on public affairs
in the nation. On August 10, 1774, Abigail parted with John as he
left to attend the Congress called at Philadelphia to try and unite
the colonies against Great Britain's plan to punish Boston and
Massachusetts. Though her sons would not be of military age for
another decade, Abigail dreaded war, in which only God knew what would
happen. When the shots at Lexington and Concorde were fired, John was
again off to the Congress and cautioned Abigail that she should 'fly
to the woods' with the children if the British attacked Boston.
Abigail prayed for the war and on June 17 John Quincy and Abigail went
to Bunker Hill and watched the roar of the cannons and saw the flames
of burning Charleston atop of Penn's Hill near where they lived. Soon
they learned of the British losses and how greater they were, but
Abigail knew someone named Dr. Warren who died. He helped John Quincy
from the loss of his finger. Abigail wrote many letters to her
husband and it became a way of life for her. She was always keeping
John up to date with what's happening at the immediate point in time.
Abigail sometimes called herself 'Mrs. Delegate' because she was the
wife of a Revolutionary leader. Abigail continued to keep in tact
with her husband throughout the war. She also was very political.
Then later she led a very productive life.