Always in the background?

Abigail Adams’ famous letter to her husband, John Adams, in 1776 contained this memorable line: “Remember the ladies.” She wanted to make sure the Declaration of Independence he was working on that year accounted for the liberty of all Americans, not just men.

But does anyone remember the FIRST line of her letter? It’s this: “I wish you would ever write me a letter half as long as I write you.” That line resonated with me. Is that what women’s lives were like in 18-century America? Were they always in the background, on the sidelines, out of the action?

Finding out became an obsession with me because the novel I was writing at the time, A FALSE DAWN, featured a woman as the main character. I wanted to write something realistic, so I had to know, did women in the 1700s have any power at all? Any freedom? Any room to maneuver?

The answer, after years of research, surprised me. During this time, many women indeed had considerable freedom and independence, depending on what cultures they came from: women from certain Indian tribes along with French-American women, for example.

You’ll hear more fascinating details about these independent Colonial women, and others, if you attend my series of lecture this fall entitled FRONTIER FEMINISTS. Stay tuned to this spot for a schedule of my appearances.