Smithsonian Podcast: There's More to That

Smithsonian magazine covers history, science and culture in the way only it can — through a lens on the world that is insightful and grounded in richly reported stories. In There’s More to That, meet the magazine’s journalists and hear how they discover the forces behind the biggest issues of our time.

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March 26, 2026 | 31:55

The Real Story Behind Abigail Adams' 'Remember the Ladies' Letter

In March of 1776, Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her husband, John Adams, as he and the other founders were debating independence. She wrote, "I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands." A common contemporary interpretation is that Abigail Adams was advocating for women’s suffrage. But most historians believe that she was condemning husbands who had unchecked power over their wives. In this episode, host Ari Daniel speaks with historian Cassandra Good about the role of women in revolutionary America, the importance of this letter at the time, and how it has been interpreted since.

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