Abigail’s “Common Sense”

When Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published in January 1776 it became an unprecedented bestseller. With its accessible language and compelling arguments, Paine succeeded in shifting popular sentiment in favor of independence. Abigail Adams was immediately impressed by the pamphlet when her husband John sent home a copy in February, and she quickly circulated it around her social circles in Braintree and beyond. Within six weeks of reading Common Sense Adams penned her most famous letter urging John and the Second Continental Congress to “remember the ladies” during the formation of the new government. On Thursday, May 28th at 7pm at the Adams Academy, QHS Executive Director Alexandra Elliott will break down the subtle references hidden within the “Remember the Ladies” letter, and the continued discourse that the letter inspired between Abigail, John, and their fellow patriots Mercy Otis Warren and James Sullivan. Ms. Elliott will then discuss how the principles of Common Sense are visible within Adams’ later advocacy, especially in her approach to slavery and women’s rights. For Adams these sentiments were obvious to the point of being “beyond dispute,” but they were radical ideas that, if implemented, would have drastically changed the fortunes of more than half the colonial population. This event is open to all and free to attend.