Final answer:
Abigail Adams wrote the phrase "Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could" in a letter to her husband John Adams, advocating for women's rights during the drafting of new laws after the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase "Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could" was written by Abigail Adams in a letter to her husband John Adams, dated March 31, 1776. In the context of the American Revolution and the creation of a new government, Abigail Adams appealed to her husband, who was participating in the Continental Congress, to consider the rights of women in the new code of laws. Despite her insightful and forward-thinking stance on women's rights, her suggestion was met with a mix of amusement and dismissal from John Adams. This illustrated the broader societal reluctance to include women in the political and legal spheres of the time, although there were signs of recognition for women's roles as New Jersey allowed some women the right to vote later that year. The correspondence between Abigail and John Adams reveals the complexities of the founding era where revolutionary ideals coexisted with traditional social views.