It is February 16th. Welcome to Episode 47 of History in a Year. Today, we step inside the President’s House to meet the most powerful, politically active, and brilliant woman of the Founding generation. Abigail Adams was not just a First Lady; she was John Adams’s chief advisor, his “Cabinet of One,” and his sharpest political weapon. We explore her famous “Remember the Ladies” letter, her fierce defense of her husband, and how she navigated the vicious partisan wars of 1797.
STEPHEN:
Welcome to History in a Year: America’s First 250 Years.
LEAH:
Join us every single day as we journey from the Revolution of 1776 to the 250th anniversary of the United States.
STEPHEN:
You can find every episode and join the discussion at PointedWords.com. I’m Stephen.
LEAH:
And I’m Leah.
STEPHEN:
It is February 16th. Welcome to Episode 47. Yesterday, we left John Adams alone in the President’s House. He was surrounded by enemies, mocked by the press, and betrayed by his own cabinet.
LEAH:
He desperately needed someone he could trust. And for John Adams, there was only ever one person who fit that description.
STEPHEN:
His wife, Abigail.
LEAH:
Abigail Adams is arguably the most fascinating woman of the 18th century. She was completely self-educated. She read Shakespeare, history, and philosophy. And from the very beginning of their marriage, John treated her as his intellectual equal.
STEPHEN:
He called her his “Portia”—referencing the brilliant, fiercely loyal wife of Brutus in Roman history. When John was away at the Continental Congress, or in Europe negotiating treaties, Abigail ran the family farm in Braintree, Massachusetts, all by herself.
LEAH:
And she didn’t just survive; she thrived. She actually made them money. She speculated in government bonds, she managed the tenants, and she single-handedly kept the Adams family afloat while John was building the country.
STEPHEN:
But her real power was her pen. She and John exchanged over 1,100 letters during their marriage. And these letters aren’t just “I miss you, how are the kids?” They are deep, intense political strategy sessions.
LEAH:
The most famous one was written in March 1776. John was in Philadelphia drafting the laws for the new nation. Abigail wrote to him and said: “I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”
STEPHEN:
She told him flat out: “Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could.” And she threatened a rebellion! She said, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.”
LEAH:
She was demanding legal rights for women in 1776! John laughed it off at the time, but he never underestimated her intelligence.
STEPHEN:
Fast forward to 1797. John is President. And he is sinking. The French are seizing American ships. Alexander Hamilton is trying to start a war. Thomas Jefferson is leading the opposition.
LEAH:
John writes to Abigail, begging her to come to Philadelphia. He says, “I never wanted your Advice and assistance more in my Life.”
STEPHEN:
When Abigail arrived, the dynamic of the presidency changed immediately. She wasn’t a quiet hostess who just poured tea. She was a political force.
LEAH:
His enemies hated her for it. They started calling her “Mrs. President.” Albert Gallatin, a Republican leader, complained that “She is the President, not him.”
STEPHEN:
Abigail was fiercely protective of John. She read all the newspapers, and the vicious attacks on her husband drove her crazy. She couldn’t stand Benjamin Franklin Bache, the editor of the Republican paper the Aurora, who was calling John a tyrant every day.
LEAH:
She called the Republican press “the vile and false aspersions of a faction.” And she pushed John to fight back.
STEPHEN:
Some historians argue that she was actually more partisan than he was! John wanted to stay above the fray, but Abigail wanted to crush their enemies. She believed that the relentless attacks in the press weren’t just insulting; they were dangerous. She thought they were going to cause a French-style revolution in America.
LEAH:
She told John, “If you don’t stop these lies, the government will fall.”
STEPHEN:
And that fear—that the press was going to destroy the country—would soon lead the Adams administration to make its biggest, most catastrophic mistake.
LEAH:
But for the moment, in 1797, Abigail was the glue holding the President together. She helped him vet appointments. She helped him draft speeches. She was, in every sense, a partner in power.
STEPHEN:
But the crisis with France was escalating. John Adams decided to send a peace delegation to Paris to try and stop a war.
LEAH:
What happened next is one of the most insulting, bizarre moments in diplomatic history.
STEPHEN:
Join us tomorrow for Episode 48. The XYZ Affair. American diplomats arrive in France, only to be told they have to pay a massive bribe just to get in the door. “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!” War fever sweeps the United States, and John Adams has to decide if he will pull the trigger.
LEAH:
I’m Leah.
STEPHEN:
And I’m Stephen.
STEPHEN:
You can find every episode at PointedWords.com. And this… is our story.