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Introduction

Written after the formal conclusion of the war, this letter finds Abigail Adams reflecting on peace and the long-awaited return of domestic stability. It replies to John’s November 5, 1782 letter and offers a quiet assessment of life at home as the nation adjusted to independence.

Letter Text

I cannot express the satisfaction I feel upon the prospect of peace, after a war of such duration and expense. The return of tranquility to our country is an event for which I have long and fervently prayed, and I trust it will be accompanied by wisdom and moderation in those who are now entrusted with the public councils. Though the struggle is ended, much remains to be done to secure the fruits of independence and to establish good order among ourselves.

At home, the change from war to peace is sensibly felt. The people look forward with hope, yet with some apprehension, to the new scenes which independence will open before them. For myself, I long only for the reunion of our family, and for that domestic happiness which has been so long interrupted by public duty. May the remainder of our lives be devoted to cultivating those private virtues which alone can give stability to public prosperity.

HAL 1776 Commentary

This letter marks a moment of transition from revolutionary endurance to postwar reflection. Abigail Adams’s emphasis on moderation and domestic renewal mirrors the broader challenges facing the young nation as it shifted from conflict to governance. Within the correspondence, the letter underscores how peace brought not immediate ease, but a new set of responsibilities requiring the same virtues that sustained the Revolution itself.

Source

Founders Online, National Archives.
Abigail Adams to John Adams, 16 September 1783.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-06-02-0093