Question

In response to his wife's admonition to "remember the ladies," John Adams wrote, "Depend upon it, we know better than to repeal our masculine systems. Although they are in full force, you know they are little more than theory. . . . We are obliged to go fare and softly, and, in practice, you know we are the subjects. We have only the name of masters, and rather than give up this, which would completely subject us to the despotism of the petticoat, I hope General Washington and all our brave heroes would fight . . . ." What do the Adams's letters in Document 6-2 suggest about how women exercised power in 1776?

Answer 1

The Adams's letters reflect an era where women mostly held informal power within domestic roles, while advocating for greater legal rights and recognition, met with reluctance from men in formal power.

Step-by-step explanation:

From the correspondence between John and Abigail Adams in 1776, it's evident that the power exercised by women at the time was predominantly informal and based around their roles within the home and family sphere. Abigail Adams, in her letter to John, conveyed a desire for greater legal recognition and rights for women in the new laws being formulated,

suggesting that women could revolt against a system that gave them no voice. John Adams's response acknowledged the essential domestic and advisory roles women like Abigail played but also expressed skepticism and resistance to formally changing the 'masculine systems' of governance that existed, reflecting a common sentiment of the era towards women's public role in society.