Abigail Adams, the Writer: “My pen is always freer than my tongue.”

Developed by Teresa Escobales Collins, Boston College High School, Boston, Mass.

This curriculum unit for high school English students revolves around the question: What was life, particularly the writing life, like for an American woman before, during, and after the founding of our nation? Using Abigail Adams's correspondence and diaries, students will explore primary source documents to learn about the historical, cultural, and ethical role of women in early America. Students will analyze the works of Mrs. Adams and other women, create a diary as if they lived during the time period, write essays comparing their lives to that of an 18th century New Englander, and produce a historical film containing scenes from the life of Mrs. Adams. The unit includes transcribed primary sources, numerous worksheets, and detailed homework assignments.

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• View/Download Individual Lessons
  • View/Download Introduction to Abigail Adams
  • View/Download Lesson 1: John and Abigail in Love
  • View/Download Lesson 2: Abigail's Daily Life
  • View/Download Lesson 3: Abigail as a Letter Writer
  • View/Download Lesson 4: Abigail as Political and Historical Observer
  • View/Download Lesson 5: Abigail as Feminist
  • View/Download Lesson 6: Abigail in Childbirth
  • View/Download Lesson 7: Abigail in Mourning
  • View/Download Lesson 8: Abigail at Seventeen
  • View/Download Lesson 9: Abigail and Her Sisters
  • View/Download Lesson 10: Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren
  • View/Download Lesson 11: Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson
  • View/Download Lesson 12: Abigail as Mother (Part I)
  • View/Download Lesson 13: Abigail as Mother (Part II)
  • View/Download Lesson 14: Modern Day Editing
  • View/Download Lesson 15: Socratic Seminar