Abigail Adams
Abby Mulkey P.4b
Biographical Sketch
-Born in Weymouth Massachusetts on Nov. 11th 1744
-Lived from 1744-1818 and was the first lady from 1797-1801-Abigail was brought up by her father Reverend William Smith and her mom Elizabeth Smith. She did not receive a formal education, but her mother used to teach her at home. Abigail married John at the age of 19 in 1764 and moved to Braintree
-Abigail and John had 6 children together. (Abigail "nabby," John Quincy, Grace Susanna, Charles, Thomas Boylston, and Elizabeth)
-Abigail and John wrote thousands of letters back and forth. Abigail's letters revealed how influential she was as John used to seek his advice on varied issues. She was often called 'Mrs. President'
-Abigail would read a lot, was well-informed, and had immense self-belief.
-Abigail's most famous letters pressed for women's rights and are some of the earliest known writings calling for equal rights.
Defining Quote
Compare/Contrast (1700s vs. today)
-People of this time period would perceive her as a strong willed woman. she would be just as impactful and accepted as she was in the 1700s
-If I had the same writing and persuasive skills as Abigail I would use those during the Chicago World fair to write about the mistreatment of women as many struggled to provide and live on their own looking for economic opportunity.
Modern Campaign Slogan
Letter Annotations
Occasion: letter to John
Audience: John Adams & other women
Purpose: urging John to draft laws that were more generous and favorable to women than his predecessors had
Subject: the drafting of the new laws
Tone: powerful, pressing, sincere
Rhetorical Strategy: Rhetorical questions used in 1st paragraph that make John Question what he is doing to protect the United States.
Parallels/Conclusions
Works Cited
Works Cited
"Abigail Adams Biography." - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
"Abigail Adams Quotes." Abigail Adams Quotes (Author of My Dearest Friend). N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Adams, John, Margaret A. Hogan, and C. James Taylor. My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2007. Print.
"Adams, "Remember the Ladies" (1776)." Adams, "Remember the Ladies" (1776). N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
"First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams." Abigail Adams Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.