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In honor of Women’s History Month, we are delighted to invite you to explore the legacy of Abigail Adams.
Abigail Adams is best known for her “Remember the Ladies” letter, written on March 31, 1776, almost exactly 250 years ago. But she also experimented with even more radical changes in gender relations where it mattered most: within her own home.
From 1774 to 1784, while her husband John was away, first in Congress and then as a U.S. diplomat in France, Abigail managed the family finances in Braintree, Massachusetts. She invested boldly, often more successfully than John, who was a very conservative investor. Married women were not allowed to own property at the time, but around 1781, Abigail began claiming some of the money she had earned for John as her own. This marked the beginning of a fundamental change in their relationship, what might be called civic engagement within the household.
Drawing on his Bancroft Prize–winning biography of Abigail Adams, Professor Woody Holton will give an illustrated presentation, followed by time for questions and discussion about this remarkable woman and her enduring legacy.
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