{"id":611,"date":"2011-02-11T05:46:15","date_gmt":"2011-02-11T12:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/?p=611"},"modified":"2011-02-07T22:48:04","modified_gmt":"2011-02-08T05:48:04","slug":"letters-from-abigail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/letters-from-abigail","title":{"rendered":"Letters From Abigail"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Although John tries to brush her off as being coquettish, one gets the distinct impression that Abigail is more than a little serious in what she has to say about a woman&#8217;s place in the new country her husband is constructing.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">            <style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n                table.cf7-db-table {\r\n                    margin-top: 1em;\r\n                    border-spacing: 0;\r\n                    border: 0 solid gray;\r\n                    font-size: x-small;\r\n                }\r\n\r\n                br {\r\n                                        mso-data-placement: same-cell;\r\n                }\r\n\r\n                table.cf7-db-table th {\r\n                    padding: 5px;\r\n                    border: 1px solid gray;\r\n                }\r\n\r\n                table.cf7-db-table th > td {\r\n                    font-size: x-small;\r\n                    background-color: #E8E8E8;\r\n                }\r\n\r\n                table.cf7-db-table tbody td {\r\n                    padding: 5px;\r\n                    border: 1px solid gray;\r\n                    font-size: x-small;\r\n                }\r\n\r\n                table.cf7-db-table tbody td > div {\r\n                    max-height: 100px;\r\n                    overflow: auto;\r\n                }\r\n            <\/style>\r\n            \r\n        <table id=\"cftble_242157009\" class=\"cf7-db-table\" >\r\n            <thead>\r\n                        <tr>\r\n            <th title=\"puzzle-solver\"><div id=\"Contact form 1,puzzle-solver\">puzzle-solver<\/div><\/th>            <\/tr>\r\n                        <\/thead>\r\n            <tbody>\r\n                            <tr>\r\n                <td title=\"puzzle-solver\"><div id=\"1297143213.0000,puzzle-solver\">Matthew<\/div><\/td><\/tr>            <\/tbody>\r\n        <\/table>\r\n        <\/td>\n<td>If you have a problem with the flash working for you, you may wish to use the <a href=\"http:\/\/wwtft.com\/puzzles\/abigail\/abigail.png\">static version<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you succeed in doing the puzzle, we&#8217;ve implemented a way for you to get credit for your efforts!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\r\n    <object classid=\"clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000\" id=\"swfobj_0\" width=\"90%\" height=\"1000\">\r\n      <param name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/puzzles\/abigail\/cwf_live.swf?version=6.1.13&amp;puzzleFileName=puzzle.xml\" \/>\n      <param name=\"base\" value=\"\/puzzles\/abigail\" \/>\r\n      <!--[if !IE]>-->\r\n      <object type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" data=\"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/puzzles\/abigail\/cwf_live.swf?version=6.1.13&amp;puzzleFileName=puzzle.xml\" width=\"90%\" height=\"1000\" base=\"\/puzzles\/abigail\">\r\n      <!--<![endif]-->\r\n        \r\n      <!--[if !IE]>-->\r\n      <\/object>\r\n      <!--<![endif]-->\r\n    <\/object>\r\n<br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #87010b;\">MARCH 31, 1776<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\">ABIGAIL\u00c2\u00a0ADAMS\u00c2\u00a0TO\u00c2\u00a0JOHN\u00c2\u00a0ADAMS<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"><span> <\/span>&#8220;I long to hear that you have declared  an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I  suppose  it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the  ladies  and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"> &#8220;Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"> &#8220;Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. 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. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"> &#8220;That your sex are naturally tyrannical is a truth so thoroughly  established as to admit of no dispute; but such of you as wish to be  happy  willingly give up &#8212; the harsh tide of master for the more tender and  endearing  one of friend. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"> &#8220;Why, then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and  the lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity with impunity? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"> &#8220;Men of sense in all ages abhor those customs which treat us  only as the (servants) of your sex; regard us then as being placed by  Providence  under your protection, and in imitation of the Supreme Being make use of  that power only for our happiness.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #efefef; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0050;\">APRIL 14, 1776<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000040;\">JOHN\u00c2\u00a0ADAMS\u00c2\u00a0TO\u00c2\u00a0ABIGAIL\u00c2\u00a0ADAMS<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #000040;\"><span> <\/span>&#8220;As to your extraordinary code of laws,  I cannot but laugh.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #000040;\"> &#8220;We have been told that our struggle has loosened the bonds  of government everywhere; that children and apprentices were  disobedient;  that schools and colleges were grown turbulent; that Indians slighted  their  guardians, and negroes grew insolent to their masters. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #000040;\"> &#8220;But your letter was the first intimation that another tribe,  more numerous and powerful than all the rest, were grown discontented. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #000040;\"> &#8220;This is rather too coarse a compliment, but you are so saucy,  I won&#8217;t blot it out. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #000040;\"> &#8220;Depend upon it, we know better than to repeal our masculine  systems. Although they are in full force, you know they are little more  than theory. We dare not exert our power in its full latitude. We are  obliged  to go fair and softly, and, in practice, you know we are the subjects.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #000040;\"> &#8220;We have only the name of masters, and rather than give up  this, which would completely subject us to the despotism of the  petticoat,  I hope General Washington and all our brave heroes would fight.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #87010b;\">MAY 7, 1776<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\">ABIGAIL\u00c2\u00a0ADAMS\u00c2\u00a0TO\u00c2\u00a0JOHN\u00c2\u00a0ADAMS<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"> <span> <\/span> &#8220;I cannot say that I think you are very generous  to the ladies; for, whilst you are proclaiming peace and good-will to  men,  emancipating all nations, you insist upon retaining an absolute power  over  wives. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: ARIAL,HELVETICA;\"><span style=\"color: #444444;\"> &#8220;But you must remember that arbitrary power is like most other  things which are very hard, very liable to be broken; and,  notwithstanding  all your wise laws and maxims, we have it in our power, not only to free  ourselves, but to subdue our masters, and without violence, throw both  your natural and legal authority at our feet.&#8221; <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week&#8217;s crossword is taken from some letters exchanged between Abigail and John Adams.  They had a terrific marriage, but didn&#8217;t always agree on everything.  John thought she was being &#8220;saucy&#8221;, but one gets the impression that she was more than a little serious.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":""},"categories":[129],"tags":[177,127],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Abigail_Adams.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}