Jeanne Abrams is Professor at the University Libraries and the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver. This interview is based on her new book, A View from Abroad: The Story of John and Abigail Adams in Europe […]
Abigail Adams
When Abigail Adams inoculated her children
Here is a taste of Ronald Shafer’s piece at The Washington Post: At the dawn of the American Revolution, the world was fighting smallpox just as it now is battling the novel coronavirus. Like the novel coronavirus, smallpox was “a highly contagious […]
Moving Into the Dorms, Circa 1785
My youngest daughter went to her first college class yesterday morning (Spanish I). She moved into the dorms last week and has managed to survive four full days of new student orientation. I think I will send her J.L. Bell’s […]
Episode 50: The Religious Beliefs of the Adams Family
Don’t be confused by the title, we are not talking about the spooky family from the 1960s. Rather, in this episode, we turn to the religious history of one of America’s founding families. By focusing on the Adams family, one […]
Teaching “Remember the Ladies”
Over at The Panorama, Texas State University history professor Sara T. Damiano reflects on teaching women’s history in the era of the American Revolution. She gives particular attention to Abigail Adams’s famous “Remember the Ladies” letter. Here is a taste: The […]
The Author’s Corner with Jeanne Abrams
Jeanne Abrams is a Professor, University Libraries at the University of Denver. This interview is based on her new book, First Ladies of the Republic: Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and the Creation of an Iconic American Role (NYU Press, 2018). JF: What […]
The Founding Fathers Wanted You To Be Polite
In his recent piece at Aeon, historian Steven Bullock reminds us that “18th-century Britons and American believed that politeness was essential for a free society.” This required “respect for other people” and having “sensitivity to their expectations and concerns.” In […]
Abigail Adams: Letters
The Library of America has announced the publication of Abigail Adams: Letters. The collection of 430 letters from the former first lady is edited by historian and Adams scholar Edith Gelles. In a post at The Library of America blog, Gelles […]
Abigail Adams and Alexander Hamilton
Unlike many Americans who visit to Broadway today, John and Abigail Adams were not fans of Alexander Hamilton. In 1806 John called Hamilton the “bastard brat of a Scotch Pedler.” Abigail also had some choice words for the Secretary of […]
Are You Doing Research on John and Abigail Adams?
J.L. Bell at Boston 1775 just brought my attention to a conference called “Abigail and John: 250 Years Together” The conference will take place on October 25 to mark the 250th wedding anniversary of this revolutionary-era couple. Here is the […]