Abigail Adams () Wife of John Adams, Women's Rights leader.

In a letter to her husband, John Adams, while at the Second Continental Congress:

Dearest Friend,

In the new laws in which you will be writing, please, remember the ladies. Don't put unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if you give them a chance.

If you don't pay attention to the ladies then you cannot expect us to obey any laws in which we don't have any voice or representation.

John Adams' responds to Abigail's letter--

Well, well,

We were warned that our struggle with England is going to let everyone loose. Children are going to become disobedient, students will overthrow their teachers, negros and indians will become insulant to their masters. But now I see a new tribe, more numerous and powerful than all the others, is beginning to rebel.

Abigail replies--

I'm sorry, but I still find it odd, that while you are proclaiming peace and goodwill to men, emancipating the nation, you still retain the absolute power of husbands over their wives. Remember John, arbitrary power, like everything else that's hard and brittle, can be broken. In spite of all your wise laws, we too have it in our power to free ourselves.