Introduction to John and Abigail Adams by Colleen Vorst
John Adams (1735-1826) and Abigail Adams (1744-1818)
by Colleen Vorst
Over the course of their fifty-year marriage, John and Abigail Adams were apart about ten of them. John Adams’s duties as a lawyer, politician, and statesman often called him away from their family farm in Braintree, Massachusetts. Because of this, their vivid letters to each other provide a glimpse of life into the lives of Americans during the Revolutionary War.
Both John Adams and Abigail Smith were native-born New Englanders; he in Braintree, Massachusetts (1735) and she in Weymouth (1744). He was the son of a Braintree farmer and she was the daughter of a Congregational minister. John was educated at Harvard College and graduated in 1755 and, at first, was employed as teacher and preacher, but soon decided to study law. Abigail did not have a formal education, but she was easily John’s intellectual equal. She was a voracious reader and from an early age had a grasp of classical as well as modern literature.
The two met through a friend in 1759 and soon connected through their common interests and love of books. The two shared a refreshing frankness that later permeated their letter correspondence. They married in 1764 and eventually had 6 children, one of whom later became president, while two died very young. The Adams moved to Boston where John could more easily support his growing family. Although at first not as famous as his cousin, Samuel Adams, John quickly became known as someone who would support the Revolutionary cause with his opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765. In June 1774, he was chosen as a delegate of Massachusetts to the First Continental Congress. He eventually would spend over twenty years in public service to the new republic, later becoming the first Vice President for two terms under George Washington, and the second President of the United States for one. During this time, he also spent time overseas, advocating for the new country’s interests in France and elsewhere. In 1800, he lost the election to Thomas Jefferson, retired, and returned to his beloved farm at Braintree. During his absences, Abigail Adams adeptly oversaw management of the farm; from money and property to husbandry, crop production, and raising children.
Over their nearly ten years apart, the two exchanged over three hundred letters. These letters, many of which were intended to be read by others according to the popular custom of the day, were eventually published by their grandson in the 19th century. The letter form, or epistolary, had been popularized by Samuel Richardson, an English novelist in prior decades. The letters between John and Abigail Adams reveal their thoughts about contemporary life as well as private issues. John relays details about the Continental Congress, describing Benjamin Franklin and others, news of the siege of Boston, as well as his anxiety about the “toils and blood and treasure,” that a new republic will cost. More reticent to write of his personal thoughts and feelings, he shared more about events and people, as well as updates on the war. Abigail laments of their “cruel separation” while in service to the country, but also remarks how proud she is that he is a “principal actor in laying a foundation for [America’s] future greatness.” Abigail demonstrated a serious interest in the events of the Revolution, as well as the outcome of the new government. Praised as being an early feminist, she reminds him to “Remember the ladies…do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands.” She also writes of events in her daily life, such as small pox inoculations for herself and the children, witnessing the British navy anchor near their Braintree lighthouse, and the unexpected death of John’s favorite grey horse. Their exchange is often candid with her criticizing him for not writing more often and him rebuking her for not writing during the family’s illness, saying, “Do my friends think that I have been a Politician so long as to have lost all feeling? Do they suppose I have forgotten my wife and children?”
These letters disclose not only the daily interworking of American lives during the Revolution, but also the deep love and admiration that existed between the two over a long and happy marriage.
As you read, consider the fact that many letters of the day were meant to be circulated and read aloud by others. How does this affect the way you read the letter? How might it have affected those reading the letter at the time of their composition? Consider how both John and Abigail Adams viewed the events occurring during the American Revolution. What thoughts and feeling do they share about the events? What does this reveal about their role and experiences? Lastly, John and Abigail Adams had a strong understanding of both classical and biblical literature. In what ways do they allude to these when describing current events?
Text included with the permission of the author.
Images: Portraits of John and Abigail Adams, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons