(Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
The first three parts in this series evaluated the merits of Rosa Parks,
Susan B. Anthony, and Clara Barton. Now it's time to judge Chris Christie's suggestion for the woman who deserves to be featured on the $10 bill, Abigail Adams.
Remember, to be considered, each candidate must be:
1. Dead
2. Female
3. American
Candidates will then be judged in the following 4 categories:
1. Popularity Index: name recognition
2. Symbolic Value Index: status as an icon or symbol for a movement or cause
3. Achievement Index: overall contribution to "our inclusive democracy”
4. Irreplaceability Index: unlikeliness that another person could have made that same societal contribution
In each of these categories, candidates will be rated on a scale from 1-10, and the scores from all four categories will then be added together to declare a winner.
Here's how the first three candidates scored:
1. Susan B. Anthony—32/40
2. Rosa Parks—30/40
3. Clara Barton—29/40
How does Adams compare?
Abigail Adams
Basic Bio:
Abigail Adams (1744-1818) was a female activist and abolitionist who provided counsel to her husband, second president John Adams. Abigail’s wit, intelligence, and passion are evident throughout their extensive written correspondence.
Popularity Index: 8/10
Though they may be unaware of the extent of her influence on her husband, most have heard of the former first lady. If you were raised in New England (like me), you have heard A LOT about her.
Symbolic Value Index: 6/10
When the First Lady is seen as an equal partner in her marriage, the ripple effect is felt throughout the country. The couple’s letters showcase the deep respect President Adams felt for his wife, not just for her role as a mother to their five children, but as an intelligent political mind. She set the standard for future first ladies such as Eleanor Roosevelt.
Achievement Index: 5/10
It’s difficult to quantify the effect Adams had on her husband’s politics, but she was labeled “Mrs. President” by critics who felt she was over-involved in his job. Some may discount Adams because her national influence was largely dependent upon her powerful husband, but she should be recognized as an intelligent and resourceful woman who took advantage of her position at a time when few women were given a voice.
Although she had no formal education, she was an avid reader who was well-versed in politics, literature, and the like, and much of her success stemmed from the grand legacy of her writings, in which she advocated for equal public education for women, female property rights, and the abolition of slavery.
In a letter largely recognized as the first major step in the women’s suffrage movement, she urged her husband to “remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.”
Later she wrote to him, “If you complain of neglect of Education in sons, What shall I say with regard to daughters, who every day experience the want of it . . . If we mean to have Heroes, Statesmen and Philosophers, we should have learned women.”
Also, her role as mother should not be overlooked: She raised five children, including our sixth president, John Quincy Adams.
However, Adams did not establish any schools or serve as president of any major organizations. She did not run her own newspaper or brave the frontlines of a war. As much as I love Adams (we’re both from Weymouth, MA) and admire the relationship she had with her husband, her list of actual accomplishments is relatively short.
Irreplaceability Index: 7/10
At the risk of sounding antifeminist, I must admit that most of Adams’ irreplaceability comes from her marriage to a man with political power and an attitude toward women that was far beyond his time. However, at a time when the most powerful role a woman could have was to be married to a man of prestige, Adams earned the intellectual respect of her husband and used her advantageous position to advocate for the rights of women, children, and African-Americans.
Final score: 26/40
After thorough evaluations of the four (famous American) women listed by the Republican candidates, Susan B. Anthony came out ahead with a score of 32/40. So does she deserve to be on the $10 bill? Does Rosa Parks, Clara Barton, or Abigail Adams? Or another woman such as Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, or Harriet Beecher Stowe? Let me know who you think should grace the $10 bill.
