Remember the ladies - 2 PEC PDF

Preview

Summary

2 PEC testo Remember the ladies (Abigail Adams) Puntuación 2.00/2.00...

Description

Remember The Ladies Abigail Adams’ Letters. 1776

By María GG

1

This is a literary text written by Abigail Adams on March 31, 1776 in Massachusetts. In 1848 it was published by her grandson Charles Francis Adams. This text was written by Abigail as a private letter to her husband John Adams, who travelled a lot because he was a very important congressman. John Adams won the presidential elections in 1796, so he served as the second President of the United States of America, after George Washington. John was also considered one of the founding fathers of America. Abigail and John kept in touch with letters like this one, in which she explained about their farm and their family in Massachusetts, and even she gave her political opinions, expressing her opposition to slavery and her support to women’s education. This letter has a second part on April 4, 1776. On April 14, 1776, John responded to his wife’s letter, but he didn’t take her words very seriously, even though he respected her ideas on politics. Abigail Adams Smith was born in November 11, 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Her father, Reverend William Smith, was part of the ministerial community within the Congregational Church. Her mother, Elizabeth (Quincy) Smith was a descendant of the Quincy family (well-known political family in 17th century). Abigail didn’t receive formal education, she thought she had been unfairly deprived of this opportunity, as well as most of the women of that times. Anyway she seized her family’s library to learn by herself. She fought for women's property rights and more opportunities for women in the New Code of Laws that was being founding. On October 25, 1764 she married John Adams and they moved to John’s farm in Braintree, Massachusetts. They had three sons and two daughters. In 1800 the Adams were the first family in occupying the White House. Then the capital of America was moved from Philadelphia to Washington. In 1801 John lost his re-election and they moved back to Massachusetts. Their second son, John Quincy Adams, became the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829. Abigail died on October 28, 1818 (73 years old) of typhoid fever. Abigail wrote her letter Remember the Ladies in a revolutionary and Early Nation period in America’s history. 18th century began as a growing period for the 13 colonies of North America: population growth, economics rose and a strong feeling of selfreliance was born. In 1750/60 was taking place in Europe the war between Great Britain and France. Great Britain won and their new politics to control all the Empire, resulted in power restrictions for the colonies. As an example, the imposition of The Stamp Act of 1765 in which Great Britain imposed a tax to the colonies, and required that many 2

printed materials for legal documents, newspapers etc. must be produced on stamped paper made in London. United States revolution began on April 19, 1775. This Revolution took form of War for independence from Great Britain, which began with small struggles, until in August was official the rebellion of North American colonies. Finally, on July 4, 1776, a committee formed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison, George Washington and headed by Thomas Jefferson, signed The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America. Abigail starts the letter complaining because she thinks her husband writes her less than she does. Then, she shows her interest in political circumstances in which her husband was involved. She alludes to Virginia, which was a slaveholding colony (like most of southern colonies), and shows her concern about slavery. She thinks that although the colonies fight together, there are many people she can´t trust because they don’t treat others as equals. That’s why she doubts about the defence that Virginia can make against Britain, while the colonies are trying to show how civilized and independent they are, and Virginia is demonstrating completely the opposite. Abigail uses the word “blood thirsty” and “savage” referring to Virginia’s Riffle Men, anyway she tries not to generalize. In 3rd paragraph she alludes to religion, and Christian principles. She thinks that America can’t ask for Liberty and equality while some colonies are depriving their people of these rights. Abigail is completely opposite to slavery and knows this is a big problem they must confront. After that, she says to her husband that he must remember the ladies. She is aware of the creation of a new Code of Laws and the possibility of a declaration of independency. Abigail says seriously to her husband that in the creation of a new Code of Laws, women should have more representation. After all, while men were working and travelling, were women who stayed protecting their properties and raising children. These children will be citizens of the “new world” it was being created. She advices her husband that in the creation of a new Code of Laws without women rights, women were determined to foment a rebellion. She uses the word “tyrants” referring to men. She says it is a Truth that male sex is naturally tyrannical and this is something established along centuries, but she also says that this don’t make men happier, and some men desire to be more Friends and less Masters of women. She wants men to change this bad tradition, because if men were 3

fighting for Liberty for the colonies, women couldn’t continue being vassals of men’s sex. Anyway she asks to be regarded as Beings placed by God under men’s protection, and men should make use of their power only to achieve everyone happiness. She uses capital letters in words like “Supreme Being” alluding to religion; in the Bible is established that the woman emerges from the man, and men as image of God, are women protectors. On 5 April, she adds a few lines to the letter, because she couldn’t send the previous one. She explains to her husband that she has been attending the sick chamber of their neighbour Trot, and she is deeply grieved for the loss of two children in one week caused by the Canker fever. She says there were many people sick even in other towns, but she tells her husband that their family were well, although she was afraid they could fall ill. These diseases like the mumps or the canker fever, were a big problem in 18 th century where children and grown people died due to poor sanitary and health conditions. She continues the letter telling his husband she is doing all she can to produce Salt Peter, which is one of the major constituents of gunpowder (black powder) and has been used since the Middle Ages as a food preservative. She says that she has read the proportions of powder for pistols and small arms, and if it could serve him, she could transcribe and sent it to him. Here she evidences her desire to be useful to her husband and to her nation, and highlighting that women can help as men can do it. Then she writes “I find as much as I can do to manufacture clothing for my family which would else be Naked”. During this period in the colonies, most of drinks (like tea), food and clothing were imported from Great Britain (industrial revolution in Britain 18th). Patriot women like Abigail made their own boycott to the overseas market consuming domestic products and manufacturing their own clothes instead of buy these goods. This is another example of the power of women in economy and politics and their loyalty to the Revolution. This part of the letter shows the enthusiasm of war women about their new “masculine duties”, taking care of business and properties in the absence of their husbands, feeling that they could own and decide. In 18 th these rights were prohibited to women: they could neither own property, make contracts nor keep wages.

4

Finally, she briefly comments that John’s nephew had become ill and that everyone of their friends send him regards. She ends writing she is “His ever faithful Friend”. She uses the word “friend” as in the beginning of the letter, where she explains that men and women should be friends instead of master-slave. She is confirming that her relationship with her husband is of equality, love and respect. All this letter shows another perspective of the situation of the 18th America and the war, in which Abigail knows that war doesn’t guarantee equality and freedom even if they win. She knows the importance of changing some rights from the beginning with the objective to create a new America in concordance and liberty.

Abigail’s words didn’t have great impact in 18th America. She didn’t change her husband vision. This change has been only seen through history, when a 18th woman had the courage to challenge the surrounding society and her husband. Abigail was the first American woman to assert her desire for women’s rights, creating a precedent in American feminist views. From my point of view, this letter shows compromise, loyalty and love from a woman to her husband and to her nation. Abigail was a woman ahead of her time, concerned about problems that could damage the new America, and tries to warn her husband about that. She was also an example of woman able to deal with all matters: she attended sick, she looked after the children and the farm, she manufactured clothes, looked for gun powder recipes and even she gave her own opinions. Although John Adams didn’t take her very seriously, it is possible that she could have influenced a little bit her husband, and maybe he took some decisions thinking about his wife’s words.

5

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books: 

US History In Brief. Susan Wallach 2010.



American Civilization. An introduction.

David Mauk & John Oakland 7th

edition. Internet: https://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/abigail-adams https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Adams#Early_life_and_family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacefield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Quincy_Adams https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate

6...