The Silent Revolution: Abigail Adams And Mercy Otis Warren

Justin Oshiro US History - Pd. 4 October 10, 2024

The Silent Revolution In early America, women had very few legal rights and were heavily kept from political life. Despite having no political power, many women still played crucial roles within their communities and played a part in the growing fight for independence from British rule. The revolutionary period brought about new ideals including freedom, liberty, and equality. However, these ideals weren’t intended for everyone to be included in. While men fought for freedom from British tyranny, women and enslaved people were still marginalized. This contrast was brought to you by women writers of the time. Women such as Phillis Wheatley, Abigail Adams, and Mercy Otis Warren talked on social

Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren used their writings to oppose social norms and stand up for women, bringing to light the contradiction between revolutionary ideals of freedom and the ongoing exclusion of women. During the American Revolutionary War in the 1770s, women kept out of politics, with their social roles limited mainly to their house as a domestic role. As the colonies fought to gain independence from Great Britain, revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality were the central point, which made a noticeable contrast with the reality of women’s limited rights. For which Abigail Adams and Mary Otis Warren became advocates for women, using their writing to call for greater social and political involvement. For instance, in a letter to her husband John Adams, Abigail urged, “Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.” This statement was written when the Continental Congress was discussing the structure for the new government, showing Abigail’s knowledge of

Similarly, Mercy Otis Warren, a famous political writer and historian, critiqued the shut out of women from the new political system. In her writing piece, “Observations on the New Constitution,” she wrote, “The new constitution ought to be established with the same regard to the rights of the female sex as those of the male.” This quote reflects her awareness that the drafted constitution does not uphold the revolutionary ideals of equality and freedom. By pushing for the recognition of women’s rights in the new government, Warren protests a large belief that political rights are reserved only for men. Her position on gender equality in the government not only highlights the need for women’s inclusion but also means that real liberty must include all members of society, not just the men. Adams and Warren’s writing highlights the necessity of including women in the fight for liberty. Phillis Wheatley used her poetry to support the revolutionary ideals of freedom while pointing out the hypocrisy of a nation that wants liberty yet continues the enslavement of Africans. Wheatley, is also an enslaved woman herself, so she wrote from a very