John & Abigail Adams

On October 25, 1764, Abigail Smith and John Adams were married. The two remained the closest of friends until Abigail's death more than fifty years later. While Abigail had no formal education, John went to Harvard and graduated in 1755. 

Abigail's lack of a formal education did not hold her back, however. She grew up in her grandmother's home, where she had informal instruction. She was not a great speller, but given her intelligence, easy access to her father's library, and ability to pick up on conversations, she was easy to mistake as educated.

 In 1774, John Adams was elected as a Massachusetts delegate to the First Congress of Colonies, which later became known as the First Continental Congress. Over the course of their relationship and marriage, over one thousand letters were exchanged between the couple. More than three hundred of them written from the time that Adams left Massachusetts in 1774, until he returned in 1783. They saved the letters, which were later published by their grandson and provided a record of a long and happy marriage. A few of the letters are available in our textbook, beginning on page 626. 

Here is a link to a video: John Adams: A Life in Letters. The video goes more into detail of the letters written by Adams. 

Adams, John, and Abigail Adams. "John and Abigail Adams." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. By Nina Baym and Robert S. Levine. 8th ed. Vol. A. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2012. 625-39. Print.

-Jessica Mize