In 1776, Abigail Smith Adams (November 11, 1744-October 28, 1818) the second First Lady of the United States, and wife of John Adams, the second President of the United States, wrote to her husband requesting that he and the Continental Congress:"...remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation."
On this day of remembering two men who shaped the history of America, let's also remember that there were women working alongside them, though perhaps unseen or obscured in history, to build this country and to keep the male powers in check.
Women may have a history of being subordinated to the whims of men, yet they also have a history of being active agents, fiercely fighting to shape their own destiny. For every man that has ruled or lead a revolution, there has been a woman next to him, whether it be his mother, sister, daughter, lover, or wife. We have always been there, and we will continue to be. Men would do well to stop underestimating us on all levels, including our ability to be the next President of the United States.
13 comments:
so true.
right on, sista soldier!
I agree wholeheartedly, except for the fact that the woman candidate now probably cant win. Not because she is a woman, but because shes not exactly a likeable woman.
Which might be a good thing actually since its about likeability and not gender
Wow. That is a wonderful post. What an amazing letter Abigail Smith Adams wrote! I wonder if she discussed it with her husband first, or if the arrival of the letter was as much a surprise to him as it was to the members of the Continental Congress.
I would love to see our country start nominating and electing women as Presidents. I believe it will happen in our lifetime. And I will feel very proud when it does.
Robin - Thanks for commenting!
Sparky, But why isn't she "likable," because she got a reputation as a strong woman? Or because she also got a reputation as being a weak woman for sticking by her cheating husband?
Starshine, I believe the letter was just to her husband, who was at the Continental Congress. She was basically telling him to remember the ladies at the Congress. That's my understanding. There's a book of all the letters written between John and Abigail and I've been meaning to read them one day.
When you get there, I'm voting for you. :)
Ha!! I was born outside of the U.S. so no dice for me. I realized in 6th grade that the Presidency was out of my grasp. But SOME woman somewhere, Hilary or someone else, needs to demonstrate that women are just as capable of being President.
"Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could."
All the men I know, certainly.
Great post, Buttercup!
P.S. I tagged you!
Hey it's whirly - I updated my blog and just wanted to pass it on to you!
Gasp! You're not Canadian are you. ;) Kidding. But by then, Congress will have changed that rule for Arnie's unsuccessful run, so you'll be in!
Lass, I have way too many skeletons in my closet for that. :) And I'm Swedish, though I'm a big fan of Canada.
Buttercup, you are not defined or limited by those "skeletons". Everyone has them, and those who pretend they don't aren't really being honest with themselves or others. I so admired Arnold Schwartzeneggar for owning up to his past "skeletons", admitting that he never lived his life planning to one day become a governor. He lived his life to live it. Not that he doesn't have regrets. But there is no point in pretending the past didn't happen. And the past doesn't define the future.
Be who you want to be. Live the life you want to live. Trust God. Hope in Him. He will guide your steps and cover over and heal all skeletons.
Be free of baggage. No need to carry all that extra weight through life.
You are loved!
Sisterfriend - Thanks for the love! I do live my life how I want it to be... er, ok I'm trying to. But in any event, even without the skeletons I wouldn't want to be in politics. I'm disenchanted, BUT I'm still interested and I'm excited about the possibilities for Obama and Hilary.
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