Joseph J. Ellis: First Family: Abigail and John Adams

The New York Times recently wrote of the book and author: Although the gender politics of the day did not afford Abigail the opportunities enjoyed by later generations of women, she was John Adams’s closest adviser and sounding board before, during and after the Revolutionary War. During his long absences from home, Abigail managed the family farm, oversaw their finances and raised their children. Later, during his diplomatic postings in Paris and London and his tenure as president, she assumed a more public role, so much so that the historian Joseph J. Ellis writes in his new book that “they were effectively regarded as a political team” — or as one television dramatization of their lives more crudely put it, “America’s first power couple.” You can read that full NYT piece here. Joseph J. Ellis also wrote: Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, His Excellency: George Washington, American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic, Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams, After the Revolution: Profiles of Early American Culture. The author was a guest on the NPR program, Talk of the Nation in October, 2010. That show is embedded below.