Adams, Abigail

orig. Abigail Smith

(born Nov. 22, 1744, Weymouth, Mass.—died Oct. 28, 1818, Quincy, Mass., U.S.) U.S. first lady. She was the daughter of a Congregational minister. Educated entirely at home, she became an avid reader of history. She married John Adams in 1764 and raised four children, including John Quincy Adams, in Quincy, Mass. In 1774 she began a prolific correspondence with her husband, who was attending the Continental Congress in Philadelphia; she described daily life and discussed public affairs during the American Revolution with wit and political acuity. She continued her letters to family and friends while in Europe (1784–88) and Washington, D.C. (1789–1801), during her husband's diplomatic and presidential careers. She was considered an influential adviser to him.

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