Date of Birth: November 22, 1744
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Date of Death: October 28, 1818
Biography
Abigail Adams was born Abigail Smith on November 22, 1744, in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She is 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 of the United States. Abigail Adams is often remembered for her extensive correspondence and her astute political observations during the American Revolution and the early years of the United States. Abigail was the daughter of William Smith, a Congregationalist minister, and Elizabeth Quincy Smith. She had limited formal education but was an avid reader, which contributed to her intellectual development. On October 25, 1764, she married John Adams, and the couple had six children, four of whom survived to adulthood. Abigail’s letters to her husband provide a significant historical record of the era, as she often discussed political matters, advocated for women’s rights, and expressed her thoughts on the turbulent events surrounding the founding of the United States. Her famous plea to “remember the ladies” in a letter to John Adams in 1776 reflects her early advocacy for women’s rights. As First Lady, Abigail Adams continued to be a trusted advisor to her husband, although she managed their farm in Massachusetts and raised their children during his frequent absences. After John Adams’s presidency, they retired to their farm, where Abigail remained active in local and family affairs until her death on October 28, 1818.
5 Interesting Facts about Abigail Adams
1. Abigail Adams was one of the earliest advocates for women’s rights in the United States, urging her husband to “remember the ladies” when drafting new laws.
2. She managed the family farm and finances during John Adams’s long absences, demonstrating her capability and independence.
3. Abigail Adams’s extensive correspondence with her husband provides valuable insights into the political and social climate of the revolutionary era.
4. She was opposed to slavery and believed in the abolitionist cause, which she discussed in her letters.
5. Abigail Adams was the first First Lady to live in the White House, moving in with John Adams in 1800.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Abigail Adams
1. “Remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”
2. “Great necessities call out great virtues.”
3. “If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind, whom should we serve?”
4. “Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”
5. “We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Abigail Adams did not accumulate a personal fortune, but as the wife of John Adams, their combined net worth at its peak was modest by today’s standards, largely consisting of their farm and personal property. The Adams family was comfortable but not extremely wealthy.
Children
1. Abigail “Nabby” Adams Smith (1765–1813) – Married Colonel William Stephens Smith. 2. John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) – Sixth President of the United States. 3. Susanna Adams (1768–1770) – Died in infancy. 4. Charles Adams (1770–1800) – Lawyer and public figure; died young. 5. Thomas Boylston Adams (1772–1832) – Lawyer and public servant. 6. Elizabeth (stillborn) (1777) – Died at birth.
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