Gimme Culture

Abigail Adams, the wife of the second United States president, John Adams, gained the attention of feminist scholars as a result of her memorable ‘Remember the Ladies’ piece of correspondence. This famous memo, dated March 31st 1776, was sent to her husband whilst he was away working on a draft copy of the American Declaration of Independence. In particular, the first lady had pleaded with her husband to give “favourable” consideration to women in the new code of laws by not putting “unlimited power in the hands of Husbands”, since “all Men would be tyrants if they could”. And, in an unmistakably dismissive tone, the future president would reply to his wife, in part, “I cannot but laugh… we know better than to repeal our masculine system”.