A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams

By March 1776, the British are fleeing Boston, and an optimistic Abigail writes to John, urging him to “remember the ladies” (79) in the new code of laws, warning that women might rebel if left without a voice or representation. John dismisses her plea with laughter. Stung and disappointed by his response, Abigail turns her mind to her family’s finances with a new sense of independence. She decides to expand her private business of selling pins and enlists her uncle, Dr. Tufts, to act as her agent in Boston. Dr. Tufts warns her that smallpox is running rampant in the city. Abigail remembers that General Washington is inoculating the army and that Boston plans a mass inoculation of its citizens, so she decides to participate, viewing it as a revolutionary act.

In Boston during the summer of 1776, Abigail and her children move into her uncle’s house to undergo smallpox inoculation. The city is a scene of destruction after the British occupation. The procedure itself is frightening, and some of the children must endure it twice for it to take effect. While they are recovering, Abigail receives a letter from John in which he proclaims his inability to help his family. Then, she is drawn outside by a crowd gathering to hear a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The words inspire her, and the crowd celebrates as they tear down the symbols of monarchy. Encouraged, she writes to John again, arguing that the new nation must also have “learned women” (85).

John Adams makes a surprise return home to Braintree in November 1776 for a visit of a month or two. When Abigail asks about the Declaration of Independence, he explains that a clause denouncing slavery was removed to secure the support of the southern states. She then challenges him on women’s rights, questioning why the document does not explicitly include women, but he deflects the question. Later, in private, Abigail expresses her fear of having another child during uncertain times. John persuades her with the promise that if she becomes pregnant, he will be home for the birth and the difficult months after.

In January 1777, after John returns to Congress, Abigail learns she is pregnant and life becomes a series of hardships. While her sister Elizabeth is marrying a dour clergyman, her father continues to resist freeing their enslaved servant, Phoebe. Abigail struggles to run the farm alone amidst a drought, runaway inflation, and a shortage of laborers. Then, her son Tommy is injured by a carelessly placed scythe. The greatest blow comes when John writes to break his promise, stating he cannot come home for the birth because they are losing the war. Devastated, Abigail endures childbirth alone and delivers a stillborn daughter. Overcome with grief, she feels that John has chosen his duty to the country over the safety of his family, a choice she realizes he will always make.

In the autumn of 1777, following the American victory at Saratoga, John returns home. He tells a relieved Abigail that he is weary of public life and intends to leave Congress to resume his law practice. His first case, however, is in New Hampshire. Then, their happiness is disrupted when a packet arrives appointing him as a diplomat to France to negotiate an alliance. Abigail begs him to refuse and even offers for the whole family to go with him. John forbids it, arguing that he cannot risk their lives and that she is needed to manage their farm and finances. They reach a compromise: John will go with 10-year-old John Quincy and Charlie, who had not yet turned eight. At their departure, John gives Abigail a gold-rimmed pendant depicting a stoic matron with the motto, “I yield—whatever is—is right,” (108) calling her his Portia.

By June 1778, Abigail has had no word from John or her sons for months and is sick with worry, which is amplified by a false newspaper report of John’s capture. Her only source of information is James Lovell, a delegate in Philadelphia, whose letters contain increasingly inappropriate flirtations. Her friend and mentor, Mercy Otis Warren, warns her to discourage Lovell to avoid scandal. Then, a letter arrives confirming that John and the boys landed safely in France, though they discovered the alliance had already been signed. Meanwhile, Abigail fires an insolent farmhand and devises a new plan to rent her land to tenant farmers. She also expands her trading enterprise, arranging for John to ship her European goods to sell in America. Her burdens increase when her brother, Bill, abandons his family, leaving Abigail to help support them.

In autumn 1778, Abigail and her daughter Nabby attend a dinner party aboard the French warship Languedoc in Boston Harbor. Nabby is shy and anxious about socializing with the French officers. At the event, Abigail has an engaging conversation with the Marquis de Lafayette, who praises John and speaks eloquently about the ideals of the revolution. They bond over the sacrifices their families have made for the cause. However, when Lafayette politely tries to draw Nabby into a discussion of politics, she gives a shallow, dismissive answer that mortifies Abigail and disappoints their French allies. On the ride home, Abigail tells Nabby that as women of their standing, they have a duty to be informed and cannot afford to be indifferent to politics. She resolves to send Nabby to stay with the politically savvy Mercy Warren to further her education.

In January 1779, a ship arrives from France, but it carries no letters or goods for Abigail, leaving her worried. James Lovell confirms from Philadelphia that no correspondence has come through, and his own letter to Abigail is more inappropriately flirtatious than ever. Then, Abigail travels to Plymouth to retrieve Nabby from Mercy Warren. During the visit, Mercy shares gossip that Dr. Franklin has taken a mistress in Paris, noting it is a common custom there. Though Abigail staunchly defends John’s fidelity, the seed of doubt is planted. Mercy then describes Nabby as aloof and indifferent to romantic prospects, adding that she takes after her father in plumpness and so cannot afford to shun interested boys. Offended, Abigail returns home to Braintree feeling vexed and increasingly anxious about John’s return.

In the spring of 1779, a large shipment of goods and a packet of letters finally arrive from John. Abigail is thrilled, but her joy turns to horror as she reads the letters. Instead of loving words, she finds page after page of cold, angry accusations. John rages at her for “complaints,” threatens to stop writing to her, and belittles her desire for news. Abigail is physically and emotionally devastated by his cruelty, feeling as if she has been abused. She confides in her family’s enslaved servant, Phoebe, who offers a stark analysis: John likely has not taken a mistress because he prides himself on honor and would feel guilty and write sweet, contrite letters—whereas John’s letters are cold and angry. Phoebe then advises Abigail to apologize and flatter him, as she is legally powerless and risks total abandonment. The exchange forces Abigail to a painful realization: Her marriage is not a partnership of equals. With a hardened heart, she resolves to cultivate her own financial and emotional independence. She writes a cold, formally apologetic reply, sealing it with the knowledge that their relationship has irrevocably changed.