Topic > Abigail Adams' role in the feminist movement

Since the founding of the United States of America, women have fought for equal rights. During the late 18th century and early 19th century, Abigail Adams was one of the key figures leading this struggle. He believed in a world where there were just laws, laws that allowed men and women to be considered equal to each other. Through the presidency of Abigail's husband, John Adams, she used a platform to spread her ideas and turn them into reality. Behind every strong man is an even stronger woman, and Abigail Adams was that woman. Despite Abigail Adams' gender limitations, she managed to have a voice in the government through her letters and outspoken beliefs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Abigail Adams believed that women had equal rights with men. She is reported to have said: “I will never consent to our sex being held in a lower light. Let each planet shine in its own orbit. God and nature designed it this way: if man is Lord, woman is Lady, that is what I stand for.” Abigail had very modern social views, at a time when most didn't. She wasn't going to let her husband define her. John himself considered Abigail his equal; he used her as a sounding board for his new ideas. He wouldn't have asked for her help if he thought she was less than himself. Abigail wasn't afraid to use her voice either. If he were to do so, he would publicly declare the laws wrong. During her time there were property laws that gave all control of property to the husband alone. He believed this was evil and wrong and made it known. Abigail also supported equal education and the freeing of slaves. Although not much happened regarding women's rights during her lifetime, her ideas about equality became reality years later. Abigail Adams wanted to fight for what was right. In a letter to John, she wrote of the possible arrival of a “female rebellion.” She said this is what would happen if women were not treated equally under the law. Abigail was strongly against sexual injustice and expressed this to John. He also wrote about how men have given away too much power, saying, “all men would be tyrants if they could.” Abigail supported women in her letters to John. She asks him to “remember women” when writing new laws, and avoid treating them as past generations of men had done. He also wrote editorial letters to family and acquaintances pushing John's Federalist views on them. Abigail was a strong force for change, and her elevated position as first lady gave her even 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, Giovanni left her for long periods on business trips. Abigail never went to school as a child. All he had learned was a small amount of reading and writing taught at home. She had to be able to run the farm and home on her own in Massachusetts. This meant that Abigail was raising five children and controlling money without any help from her spouse. Abigail turned out to be more profitable and better at managing the family's money than John. John thought that all investments only transferred money from the poor to the rich; it was Abigail who knew she would make money. Under Massachusetts law, everything in the family belonged to John. Abigail cut out a hundred pounds of sterling and put it inon the bond market without John. Abigail didn't need her husband to be successful. On top of that, Abigail turned her home into a hospital for soldiers wounded in battle. Abigail managed to take care of everything and everyone on her own. Even though it seemed that Abigail Adams had a strong feminist point of view, some of her comments prove otherwise. After Patience Wright's husband died, she created a waxwork business to earn money. Abigail called her "the queen of sluts." Abigail also tried to influence fashion to be more conservative. He believed that the popular Napoleonic style of clothing was too revealing and in bad taste. While most of Abigail's ideas were positive, she, like everyone else, had flaws. Abigail and John Adams had a good marriage and truly loved each other. John and Abigail initially corresponded through letters before they married. It's what made them fall in love with each other. They also got to know each other better by discussing daily newspapers and growing unrest with Britain. Although their love was strong, John's various business trips throughout his career caused a separation between him and Abigail. It was difficult for Abigail and her children to deal with John's absence. There was a time when Abigail was thinking of joining John (the wives of the other delegates to the Continental Congress accompanied them there). But in the end, she knew it was hard enough for her children to deal with the fact that one parent was already gone and she couldn't leave them. John later offered to resign as delegate and return home, but Abigail knew she had to stay. She said: "I found his honor and reputation much dearer to my present pleasure and happiness, and I could not in any way consent to his resignation at the present time, as I was fully convinced that he would suffer if he left." Even though John and Abigail were a political couple, the love in their marriage was never false. Although John loved Abigail, he didn't always listen to her. Abigail asked John to give women equal representation in his new laws, to "remember the women", and John laughed at this. After Abigail read the book “A Vindication of Women's Rights,” John accused her of being a “disciple of Wollstonecraft.” The issue of women's rights was something they disagreed on. Abigail told John during his presidency that he should go to war with France, and he did not. Sometimes they even had different political opinions. The last major issue they argued about was financial matters. John wanted to buy another farm in Massachusetts, while Abigail wanted to invest in junk bonds and real estate in Vermont. Abigail ended up doing what she wanted. In a time when women were supposed to be subservient to their husbands, Abigail spoke up and did what she thought was right. Abigail Adams' published letters were important documents for both 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 documents of colonial America. Other letters from Abigail talk about her trip to Europe and give a sense of what travel was like in the late 1700s. Although the letters were critical primary sources, Abigail did not want them published. When asked why she did not want the letters published, she replied that it was not proper for a woman to make her private correspondence public. Abigail died of illness in 1818, and her son, John Quincy Adams, was elected president, just six months later. Decades later, one of Abigail's grandchildren understood the valueof the letters and published some of the most famous in 1848. It is for this reason that Abigail's letters continue to be saved and read to this day. Unfortunately, Abigail also received backlash for the letters. There was always the fear that the press and political enemies would use Abigail's letters against her. An example was a public debate. A man there had read one of Abigail's private letters. She said she couldn't 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 by saying, "I could not believe that a gentleman had so little delicacy or so little sense of propriety as to have written a vague opinion and that of a lady, to be read in a public meeting as an authority That man must have lost his mind... My guard will serve as a lesson to me." Another time a man named Albert Gallatin spread Abigail's story using her letters. She said Abigail shouldn't have been in the White House when John picked some foreign appointees because Abigail wouldn't have approved of them. Abigail was criticized for playing an active role in government and having a say when women were not supposed to. John and Abigail Adams were against British rule in America. One of the main problems they had was taxation, Abigail solved it by switching from coffee to tea. It was his way of having a non-violent protest. John dealt with British rule by serving as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He and Abigail considered themselves patriots (as opposed to loyalists). They wanted America to be free from the rule of Great Britain. They were friends with other influential patriots who founded this country such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Abigail also read the book “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine and supported it avidly. He thought that once people read it they would want independence and tried to promote the book's ideas as much as possible. Because of all of Abigail and John's anti-British efforts, John was considered a traitor by the English. Abigail Adams actively contributed to the founding of America. She was appointed to the general court of the colony of Massachusetts. His job was to interrogate women in the colonies accused of being loyal to the English and acting against independence. Abigail worked hard in her work to found America. Besides that he was also part of the correspondent's network. This was a network of men and women who exchanged news and gossip about matters with the English during the American Revolution. While Abigail's letters spoke to her opinions, Abigail also took part in organizations to make real change. Abigail didn't let her gender get in the way of gaining independence from Great Britain. Abigail Adams' husband, John, was elected the second president of the United States of America. John was originally a lawyer, but gave up his practice to join 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 a stewardess for all of America. When Abigail had formal guests, she seated them in fine fashion as they did at Buckingham Palace. Abigail was also the first woman to live in the White House. She lived there for four months in 1800. She was also one of only two first ladies to be both: wife of a president and mother of a president. Being First Lady was an important role for Abigail to uphold. Abigail Adams did much to influence John's views during his presidency. She was a strong supporter of the federalists and did not hide her.