Abigail Adams asks to be remembered
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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.
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Words to know
- rights
- freedoms and protections people are entitled to
- request
- ask for something
- change
- become different
Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John. She asked him to consider women when new laws were made. Women did important work but lacked many rights. Her letter helps us hear a woman’s voice.
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What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?
Follow-up: The Massachusetts Constitution
Massachusetts adopted a constitution, a plan for government. John Adams was its main author. The document described rights and branches of government. It remains in use with amendments. Rights were not equally enjoyed by everyone.
How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.
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Check the evidence
Research source for this event ↗
Gilbert Stuart / National Gallery of Art, public domain. Image source and rights ↗
Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.
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