Abigail Adams, Letter to John Adams (17 June 1782); L. H. Butterfield; M. Friedlaender (eds.) Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 4 (1973) https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17820617aa
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Patriotism in the female sex is the most disinterested of all virtues. Excluded from honors and from offices, we cannot attach ourselves to the State or Government from having held a place of eminence. ... Yet all history and every age exhibit instances of patriotic virtue in the female sex; which considering our situation equals the most heroic of yours.
— Abigail Adams on Women in the United States
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Patriotism in the female sex is the most disinterested of all virtues. Excluded from honors and from offices, we cannot attach ourselves to the State or Government from having held a place of eminence. ... Yet all history and every age exhibit instances of patriotic virtue in the female sex; which considering our situation equals the most heroic of yours." in the context of "Abigail Adams, Letter to John Adams (17 June 1782); L. H. Butterfield; M. Friedlaender (eds.) Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 4 (1973) https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17820617aa" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Women in the United States" (Quotes, 18th century)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Abigail Adams
Abigail Smith Adams (November 11, 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife of John Adams, the second president of the United States, and is retrospectively perceived as the second First Lady of the United States; the term was not coined until after she had died. She was also the mother of John Quincy Adams.
About Abigail Adams
Abigail Smith Adams (November 11, 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife of John Adams, the second president of the United States, and is retrospectively perceived as the second First Lady of the United States; the term was not coined until after she had died. She was also the mother of John Quincy Adams.
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