Founding Women: Ideas of Independence

MHS Event

This is a hybrid event. FREE for MHS Members. $10 per person fee (in person). No charge for virtual attendees or Card to Culture participants (EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare). The in-person reception starts at 5:00 and the program will begin 6:00 PM.

In person attendance is sold out.

Register to attend online

From letters to plays and poetry to history, Mercy Otis Warren, Abigail Adams, and Phillis Wheatley communicated ideas about revolution, independence, and freedom. They engaged leading political figures, family members, and peers in conversations about women’s rights, slavery, and the future of American government. Join us to discover how Warren, Adams, and Wheatley wrote their way through the American Revolution and beyond. 

Before the program, join us for a reception, view 1776: Declaring Independence, and mingle with historical interpreters who bring the stories of Mercy Otis Warren, Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, and Martha Washington to life. 

Featuring: 

Michele Gabrielson, an award-winning history teacher and historic interpreter, as Mercy Otis Warren

Audrey Stuck-Girard, an actor, costumer, and living history interpreter, as Abigail Adams

Cathryn Philippe, an actor and historical interpreter, as Phillis Wheatley

Sandy Spector, a Martha Washington interpreter throughout the US

1776: Declaring Independence features manuscripts, artifacts, and rarely seen treasures, including many from the Adams Presidential Library, this exhibition captures a monumental moment in American history. The exhibition is on view through December 19, 2026, and was curated by the Adams Presidential Library.