Remember the Ladies: Abigail Adams and Respect

In this lesson, students will learn about the life of Abigail Adams and how she fought for respect for the respect of women’s rights.

Walk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.

• What challenges are you facing?
• hat fears or concerns might you have?
• What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?

Observation Questions

• In what ways did John Adams and Abigail Adams demonstrate respect for others, seeking to enhance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for themselves and others?
• What was the identity of Abigail Adams during the Revolutionary War? To what extent do you see an emphasis on the virtue of respect in her words and actions?
• As he participated in the Continental Congress, how did John Adams see his purpose? How did Abigail Adams see her purpose?

Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.

• What is the historical context of the narrative?
• What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
• How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
• How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
• How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
• What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
• Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
• How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?

• Students will analyze Abigail Adams’s thoughts on the issue of women’s rights.
• Students will examine Abigail Adams’s understanding of respect as a necessary virtue.
• Students will understand why cultivating respect affects the future of the United States.
• Students will demonstrate respect in their own lives to protect freedom.