Previous: March 17, 1778 – Abigail to John — Encouragement from home
Next: July 11, 1780 – John to Abigail — Republican character and duty

Introduction

Written as the war dragged into its sixth year, this letter finds Abigail Adams deeply concerned with the education and moral formation of her children amid continued uncertainty. It replies to John’s recent correspondence from abroad and reflects her conviction that personal virtue and learning were essential to the future success of the republic.

Letter Text

I have never felt more anxious for the education of our children than at the present time. The situation of public affairs, and the many evils which attend a state of war, render it of the utmost importance that they should be early habituated to reflection and self-command. Knowledge, in my opinion, is not only useful but necessary to the preservation of liberty, and without it the people will be perpetually exposed to the designs of those who seek to enslave them.

I endeavor, as far as my abilities permit, to cultivate in them a love of virtue and industry, convinced that these qualities are more valuable than riches or rank. If we mean to have a free government, education must be diffused among the people, and the minds of the young must be prepared to receive and improve it. Though our circumstances are often trying, I trust that the sacrifices we now make will contribute to the happiness of future generations.

HAL 1776 Commentary

This letter reflects Abigail Adams’s mature political philosophy, linking education directly to republican survival. Her insistence that liberty depends upon an informed and virtuous citizenry echoes ideas circulating among revolutionary leaders, yet her perspective is rooted firmly in daily parental responsibility. Within the broader correspondence, the letter underscores how the Adams partnership extended beyond immediate events to the long-term moral foundations of the nation they hoped to secure.

Source

Founders Online, National Archives.
Abigail Adams to John Adams, 29 June 1780.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-04-02-0180