Abigail Adams was one of the founders of the American Revolution. Smart, passionate, and articulate, she supported her husband and spoke out on her own too.

Fun Facts

• Abigail Adams was born in 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, just a few miles from Boston.
• Her parents both came from important families. Abigail’s grandfather served as the Speaker of the Massachusetts Assembly for more than 40 years. He influenced her to be active in politics.
• Abigail was homeschooled. She taught herself by reading from books in the family library. A tutor began teaching her at home when she was eleven.
• Abigail’s father was a minister and a farmer. Her mother cared for the home and family.
• She was 17 when she met and fell in love with John Adams, a country lawyer and farmer. He was 26, short, chubby, and balding. The two shared the same interests and enjoyed talking to each other. They wrote long, passionate letters to each other throughout their lives.
• They were married when Abigail was 19 and had six children, four of whom survived to adulthood.
• Abigail encouraged her husband to speak up and to do the right thing. She was a strong force behind his political and legal career.
• Abigail was ahead of her time in many ways. She was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and women’s education. She did not believe in slavery.
• She understood how important freedom was. She once said, “Is it not better to die the last of British freemen, than live the first of British slaves?”

Vocabulary

1. Articulate: well-spoken
2. Advocate: supporter

Questions and Answers

Question: Did Abigail enjoy being the First Lady?

Answer: Not particularly. She was criticized for being outspoken and she found it hard to bite her tongue. She was one of only two women to be both wife and mother of a president.

Her son, John Quincy Adams, later became president. Barbara Bush was also married to a U.S. president and had a son who served as president.

Learn More

Watch a video about Abigail Adams.