Abigail Adams was the prominent daughter of William Smith who was a minister and the daughter of Elizabeth Quincy. Born November 11, 1744, Abigail was the second daughter of four children. In the first nineteen years of his life, he had not studied. Abigail found comfort in trying to read her father's church books. Abigail was encouraged by her parents to read, so her father builds a library on the opposite side of the house. Books were limited in those days. Abigail Adams and her siblings Mary, William, and Betsy grew up in Massachusetts. Growing up Abigail and her family had two black slaves as servants. Black slaves were called servants, so it didn't seem to be that dehumanizing. The Smith family raised their children to be courteous, to respect the Lord, and to respect others. As a child, Abigail was close to her grandparents, especially her grandmother. He came into faith at the age of fifteen. Abigail and her sisters accepted their first communion voluntarily and cheerfully. On the other hand, William, who the family called Billy, was a disappointment to the Smith family and Quincy. The Smith girls grew up, and Mary, the eldest daughter, married Richard Cranch, a thirty-six-year-old Englishman, in 1762. Richard was an energetic, fun-loving man. Richard Cranch introduced the Smith girls to books and literature. He was an extraordinary teacher. Once Mary's husband introduced Abigail to the world of literature, she began reading books by Shakespeare, Thomson, and Milton Pope. His favorite author was James Thomson. She liked poetry. Abigail also enjoyed reading the Bible and anything that promoted women's equality. He also favored Samuel Richardson because he wrote about being sensitive towards women, sex, marriage and the importance of educating a woman. At the age of seventeen, Abigail is worried about marriage and will she find a husband as kind as her sister Mary. In the year 1759 Abigail meets John, he was a country lawyer. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay John Adams was a twenty-six year old virgin from Braintree. John Adams was a lawyer who graduated from Harvard in 1755. John Adams' father became disillusioned with him due to his religious beliefs and John closed all doors to becoming a minister. John Adams also taught school until he took the bar exam in 1758. John Adams had known Abigail and her family for quite some time. Adams was a close friend of Richard Cranch. Both men were love struck by Hannah Quincy. Hannah was Abigail and Mary's second cousin. John Adams was first smitten by Hanna and wanted to ask for her hand in marriage. John was about to ask Hannah for her hand in marriage. Right before John was about to propose to Hannah, someone interrupted the proposal by entering the room. John would later admit that he was grateful he didn't marry Hannah. John and Abigail had known each other since Abigail was fifteen. John Adams was always in the presence of the Quincy family because of Richard Cranch, Dr., Tufts, Abigail and Mary's uncle, and Colonel Quincy. Abigail's mother was hesitant and worried about John Adams. William Smith trusted John. In the year 1761, John Adams began to look at Abigail differently. John has developed strong feelings for Abigail. Abigail was different and unique in her own way and John Adams liked that about her. Abigail accompanied John to attend a court session in 1763, and by that winter John and Abigail would be preparing for an autumn wedding. The happy couple married on 25 October 1764 in Weymouth, a month earlierof his twentieth birthday. The couple was married by Abigail's father at the Smith home. John Adams was five days shy of his twenty-ninth birthday. Abigail and John were virgins when they married. Shortly after Abigail became pregnant with their first child, a premature baby girl they named Nabby on the morning of July 14, 1765. In 1766 Abigail learned she was pregnant again. Since John was a traveling lawyer, he was often away from home. Abigail found comfort in reading books to her son and unborn child. He was ashamed of how he wrote because he didn't want people to know how bad his spelling was. When Abigail wrote a letter, she asked people to trash the letters. Letters were very important to Abigail because books were limited and letters allowed her to explore and experience how she feels. She would feel free to express herself better in a letter than in person. Abigail wrote to her sister Mary a lot. He would also write to his new friend Mercy Otis Warren. Abigail wrote letters to family and friends. Abigail said her pen was her only friend. She would give birth to her second child on July 11, 1767. She gave birth to a son and named him John Quincy Adams in honor of her ailing grandfather. Adam's grandfather, John Quincy, needed to baptize his grandson before his death. The grandfather managed to baptize his grandson but died two days after birth. Abigail and John Adams would have five living children and one deceased child. Susanna died at thirteen months old in 1768, so now Mr. and Mrs. Adams had Nabby, John Quincy, Charles, Thomas Boylston, and Elizabeth. John Adams moved his family to Boston to be with him. John Adams was a successful lawyer and was always absent from home. After the birth of all his children, John was elected to the White House. Abigail was the first presidential wife to live in the White House in the 1800s. Abigail was depressed because she missed her sister Mary and John was always working and had little time with his family. Abigail was very supportive of her husband and his career. In Boston, Adams rented the White House which was located in Brattle Square. The house overlooked the waterfront and Abigail could look down on it. John was elected to the Massachusetts assembly when the resistance movement was critical. John always confided in his wife and asked her opinion on certain cases. John Adams valued his wife's opinions even though she had no public voice. Women were not allowed to speak in public or vote during this time, so her advice was invaluable to her husband. John Adams appreciated his wife's intelligence. During their marriage, Abigail was left at home to support the house, children, and servants. Abigail wrote letters to her husband and kept a diary. They both keep a diary and write about their daily lives. Mail was the only way to stay in touch with members who don't live nearby. John Adams often did not respond and if he did his response was vague. Over the years of their marriage, Abigail shared her husband's quest for importance. Abigail played an important role in politics. Giving her the nickname "Your Hateful" or "Madam President" Addresses women's rights and slavery with advanced thoughts on many issues. He shared the farming of their property. Abigail became a political figure after her husband was elected president. She wrote to her husband reminding him not to forget about women because they too wanted equal rights. Women wanted the right to vote, read and work. She wanted to end slavery for all enslaved people and wanted women educated. Thomas Jefferson was the third U.S. president to own over 200 slaves. Jefferson had a plan to organize the.