Abigail Adams

While probably best known as the wife of John Adams, the second president of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, Abigail Adams (1744–1818) was a historic figure in her own right. During the Revolutionary era, Abigail and John Adams were often separated while John worked for independence and the creation of the new American government and she maintained their home and family in Massachusetts.

Despite their long separations, the two shared a close bond, and Abigail often advised her husband in political matters. She opposed slavery and supported educational opportunities for women. In 1776, Abigail tried to persuade her husband that the new government should “remember the ladies” and take a more equal view of women’s rights under the law.