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Introduction

Written as Congress moved steadily toward independence, this letter finds Abigail Adams confronting the immediate dangers and sacrifices of wartime life. It replies to John’s April 14 letter and reflects her willingness to endure personal risk for the cause her husband and the Congress were now openly advancing.

Letter Text

I feel myself under the necessity of informing you that the smallpox is tenfold more terrible than Britons, Canadians, or Indians together. I know not what to do. I am much afraid of the distemper, and yet I know not how to avoid it. The necessity of the case, and the advice of my friends, at length prevailed upon me to submit myself to the operation. I have taken every possible precaution to prevent the infection from spreading, but the anxiety of mind attending this affair has been great indeed.

I submit my will to the disposal of Providence, and trust that I shall be supported through this trial. If I had not been convinced that the public good required every sacrifice, I could not have reconciled myself to the step I have taken. Pray remember me with tenderness, and believe that whatever may be the event, I shall ever esteem it my greatest happiness to have been united to you in the cause of our country, as well as in the nearer and dearer ties of affection.

HAL 1776 Commentary

This letter highlights the intimate costs of revolution, where decisions made in the name of public liberty carried direct personal danger. Abigail’s choice to undergo inoculation reflects both maternal responsibility and political commitment, revealing how the war demanded courage far beyond the battlefield. Within the series, the letter underscores how independence was forged not only in Congress, but in households willing to accept profound risk for the future of the nation.

Source

Founders Online, National Archives.
Abigail Adams to John Adams, 18 June 1776.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-01-02-0107