Abigail Adams Reminds the Revolution to 'Remember the Ladies'

What Happened?

In the spring of 1776, as the American colonies inched closer to declaring independence from Great Britain, Abigail Adams took up her pen and sent a letter to her husband, John Adams, then attending the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. What she wrote was bold, pointed, and ahead of its time.

"In the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies…" she began. With that one phrase, Abigail issued one of the earliest written demands for women’s rights in American history. She warned that if women were excluded from the new republic, they might be compelled to start a rebellion of their own.

Abigail Adams wasn’t asking politely. She was advocating with insight and wit. She reminded John that all men could become tyrants if left unchecked, and that women, if denied legal protections and representation, would not remain silent forever.

While her letter didn’t shift the legal landscape overnight, its sentiment echoed across centuries. It revealed that even during the nation’s founding, there were women imagining a freer, fairer society for all.

Abigail’s marriage to John was rooted in mutual respect. They exchanged more than 1,000 letters over their lifetimes, discussing everything from revolution to home life. Abigail advised John on political matters, criticized slavery, and pushed for women’s voices to be taken seriously in the public sphere.

Abigail’s call to ‘remember the ladies’ still resonates today. It reminds us that democracy isn’t just made in declarations—it’s made in the daily demand for dignity, equality, and justice.

Why It Matters

Abigail Adams’s letter wasn’t just an expression of personal hope—it was an act of political defiance. Her words helped seed the long struggle for women’s equality in America, and they challenge us to ask: who gets a voice in the laws that govern us?