At the age of 18, Adams met and fell in love with Royall Tyler. Her father thought she was too young to be courted, but he eventually accepted it. At one point the two were even engaged to be married. But John Adams, then the U.S. minister to the Kingdom of Great Britain, eagerly called for his wife and daughter to join him in London. For a time, Adams maintained a long-distance relationship with Tyler, but eventually broke off the engagement, leaving Tyler depressed.[2]
Colonel William Stephens Smith
Shortly afterward Adams met Colonel William Stephens Smith, who was serving as her father's secretary and was 10 years her senior. They would later be related by marriage—Col. Smith's sister was the wife of Adams's brother Charles. They were married at the American minister's residence in London on June 12, 1786.[3] Adams's observations of European life and customs, and of many of the distinguished statesmen of the day, were later published.[4]
Their courtship was thought to be too short by Adams's parents, and historians have not considered it to be a good marriage. While Colonel Smith was kind to his family, he never settled, continually seeking a better lot in life. He spent more money than he earned and lost everything to real estate speculation in the early 1800s. This left them on a small farm along the Chenango River in central New York.[5]
In 1810, Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer.[5] On October 8, 1811, a mastectomy was performed by John Warren and several assistants without any anesthesia in an upstairs room of the Adams home.[6] Her mother, husband, and daughter Caroline were also on hand to assist.[5]
The surgery
The exact details of the surgery are not known but it was described as a typical 19th-century operation.[5] The instruments used during the surgery consisted of a large fork with a pair of six-inch prongs sharpened to a needle point, a wooden-handled razor, a small oven filled with heated coals, and a thick iron spatula.[5] Before the surgery began Dr. Warren strapped Smith into a chair to restrain her, and then began to remove the clothing to expose the area on which he would operate.[5] Once the diseased breast was exposed, other physicians held her left arm back so that Warren would have better access to the diseased tissue.[5] He began the surgery by thrusting the large fork into her breast and lifting it from the chest wall. He then sliced at the base of the breast until it was completely severed from her chest.[5] After removing the breast, he saw that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under Smith's arms, and he worked to remove those tumors as well.[5] To stop Smith's bleeding, Warren applied the heated spatula to cauterize the open cuts, and then sutured the wounds.[5] The surgery took around 25 minutes, and dressing the wounds took more than an hour.[6] Warren and his assistants later expressed astonishment that Smith endured the pain of the surgery and cauterization without crying out, despite the gruesomeness of the operation, which was so horrifying it caused her mother, husband, and daughter to turn away.[5]
Death
In 1812, Smith finally started to feel well and returned to the family farm in New York.[5] In early 1813, she began feeling pain in her abdomen and spine, as well as suffering from painful headaches.[5] At first a local doctor in New York said that the pain was from rheumatism, but later that year new tumors began to appear in the scar tissue as well as on her skin.[5] She then returned to Quincy, telling her husband that she preferred to die at her parents' home.[5] She died in August 1813 at the age of 48.[2][5][6][7][a] She was buried at Hancock Cemetery in Quincy.[9]
Smith's death is a poignant part of the 2008 John Adams miniseries, in which she is played by Sarah Polley; Smith as a young girl was played by Madeline Taylor in the first three episodes of the same series. The series took artistic license by shifting Smith's cancer diagnosis to 1803, and changing many other aspects of her life.[10]
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden
The Abigail Adams Smith Museum, now known as the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden, was a carriage house built in 1799 by a wealthy New York china merchant on property purchased from Smith and her husband. The carriage house was purchased by Joseph Hart and converted into a day hotel. Day hotels were popular at the time as they provided the burgeoning New York middle class an escape from the overcrowded and oppressive city. It was called the Mount Vernon Hotel after George Washington's home in Virginia and functioned in this capacity from 1826 to 1833. The property changed hands again when it was purchased by Jeremiah Towle. It served as the Towle family's private residence until 1905 when, with the spread of industrialization, it was purchased by Standard Gas Light Company. The building was preserved until its ultimate purchase by the Colonial Dames of America in 1924. In 1939, the building was opened to the public as the Abigail Adams Smith Museum. The Colonial Dames of America reinterpreted the house as a day hotel and reopened it as the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden in 2000. It remains open to the public with museum tours daily (except Monday).[11]
^Sources identify Smith's specific date of death as August 9, 14, or 15. August 15 is almost certainly correct. The earliest newspaper accounts of Smith's passing appeared on August 16. The death notice in the Independent Chronicle (Boston, MA) for Monday, August 16, 1813 specified that Smith died "yesterday" and that the funeral would be held "tomorrow".[8]
References
^(2006) American Experience: John and Abigail Adams. PBS Paramount.
^ ab"Royall Tyler, the Man Nabby Adams Wanted To Marry". New England Historical Society. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
^Nagel, Paul C. 1987. The Adams women: Abigail and Louisa Adams, their sisters and daughters. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-503874-6
^Smith, Abigail Adams 1841. Journal and correspondence of Miss Adams, daughter of John Adams, second president of the United States, written in France and England, in 1785. book
^ abcdefghijklmnopOlson, Jim (September 30, 2002). "Jim Olson's Essay on Abigail Adams". SHSU.edu. Huntsville, TX: Sam Houston State University. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
^ abc"Abigail Adams Smith | History of American Women". History of American Women Blog. 8 October 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
^Adams, John (1854). "To Thomas Jefferson". The Works of John Adams, vol. 10 (Letters 1811–1825, Indexes). Retrieved June 28, 2018. 16 August, 1813 ... my only daughter, expired yesterday morning
^"Death Notice, Mrs. Abigail Smith". Independent Chronicle. Boston, MA. August 16, 1813. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
^National Park Service (October 12, 2022). "Abigail "Nabby" Smith (1765-1813)". NPS.gov. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
^Jeremy Stern (October 27, 2008). "What's Wrong with HBO's Dramatization of John Adams's Story". History News Network. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
^"The 1799 Mount Vernon Hotel – 421 E. 61st Street". November 4, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
External links
Nagel, Paul. The Adams Women: Abigail and Louisa Adams, Their Sisters and Daughters. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999.
American Experience-John And Abigail Adams
Adams family biographies – Massachusetts Historical Society
Olson, James. Essays about Abigail "Nabby" Adams from book, Bathsheba's Breast: Women, Cancer & History. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.
January 13, 2023
abigail, adams, smith, this, article, about, daughter, president, john, adams, wife, this, article, subject, mother, abigail, adams, abigail, nabby, amelia, adams, smith, july, 1765, august, 1813, daughter, abigail, john, adams, founding, father, second, presi. This article is about the daughter of U S president John Adams For his wife and this article s subject s mother see Abigail Adams Abigail Nabby Amelia Adams Smith July 14 1765 August 15 1813 was the daughter of Abigail and John Adams founding father and second President of the United States and the sister of John Quincy Adams sixth President of the United States She was named for her mother 1 Abigail Nabby Adams SmithPortrait by Mather BrownBornAbigail Amelia Adams 1765 07 14 July 14 1765Quincy Province of Massachusetts Bay British AmericaDiedAugust 15 1813 1813 08 15 aged 48 Quincy Massachusetts U S Resting placeHancock Cemetery in Quincy MassachusettsSpouseWilliam Stephens Smith m 1786 wbr Children4Parent s John Adams Abigail SmithFamilyAdams Quincy Contents 1 Romance and marriage 2 Diagnosis of breast cancer 2 1 The surgery 3 Death 4 Depictions in popular culture 5 Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden 6 Family tree 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksRomance and marriage EditAt the age of 18 Adams met and fell in love with Royall Tyler Her father thought she was too young to be courted but he eventually accepted it At one point the two were even engaged to be married But John Adams then the U S minister to the Kingdom of Great Britain eagerly called for his wife and daughter to join him in London For a time Adams maintained a long distance relationship with Tyler but eventually broke off the engagement leaving Tyler depressed 2 Colonel William Stephens Smith Shortly afterward Adams met Colonel William Stephens Smith who was serving as her father s secretary and was 10 years her senior They would later be related by marriage Col Smith s sister was the wife of Adams s brother Charles They were married at the American minister s residence in London on June 12 1786 3 Adams s observations of European life and customs and of many of the distinguished statesmen of the day were later published 4 Their courtship was thought to be too short by Adams s parents and historians have not considered it to be a good marriage While Colonel Smith was kind to his family he never settled continually seeking a better lot in life He spent more money than he earned and lost everything to real estate speculation in the early 1800s This left them on a small farm along the Chenango River in central New York 5 Their children were William Steuben Smith John Adams Smith Thomas Hollis Smith Caroline Amelia Smith married John Peter DeWint of Fishkill on Hudson Diagnosis of breast cancer EditIn 1810 Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 On October 8 1811 a mastectomy was performed by John Warren and several assistants without any anesthesia in an upstairs room of the Adams home 6 Her mother husband and daughter Caroline were also on hand to assist 5 The surgery Edit The exact details of the surgery are not known but it was described as a typical 19th century operation 5 The instruments used during the surgery consisted of a large fork with a pair of six inch prongs sharpened to a needle point a wooden handled razor a small oven filled with heated coals and a thick iron spatula 5 Before the surgery began Dr Warren strapped Smith into a chair to restrain her and then began to remove the clothing to expose the area on which he would operate 5 Once the diseased breast was exposed other physicians held her left arm back so that Warren would have better access to the diseased tissue 5 He began the surgery by thrusting the large fork into her breast and lifting it from the chest wall He then sliced at the base of the breast until it was completely severed from her chest 5 After removing the breast he saw that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under Smith s arms and he worked to remove those tumors as well 5 To stop Smith s bleeding Warren applied the heated spatula to cauterize the open cuts and then sutured the wounds 5 The surgery took around 25 minutes and dressing the wounds took more than an hour 6 Warren and his assistants later expressed astonishment that Smith endured the pain of the surgery and cauterization without crying out despite the gruesomeness of the operation which was so horrifying it caused her mother husband and daughter to turn away 5 Death EditIn 1812 Smith finally started to feel well and returned to the family farm in New York 5 In early 1813 she began feeling pain in her abdomen and spine as well as suffering from painful headaches 5 At first a local doctor in New York said that the pain was from rheumatism but later that year new tumors began to appear in the scar tissue as well as on her skin 5 She then returned to Quincy telling her husband that she preferred to die at her parents home 5 She died in August 1813 at the age of 48 2 5 6 7 a She was buried at Hancock Cemetery in Quincy 9 Depictions in popular culture Edit Abigail Adams Smith after a portrait by John Singleton Copley Smith s death is a poignant part of the 2008 John Adams miniseries in which she is played by Sarah Polley Smith as a young girl was played by Madeline Taylor in the first three episodes of the same series The series took artistic license by shifting Smith s cancer diagnosis to 1803 and changing many other aspects of her life 10 Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden EditThe Abigail Adams Smith Museum now known as the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden was a carriage house built in 1799 by a wealthy New York china merchant on property purchased from Smith and her husband The carriage house was purchased by Joseph Hart and converted into a day hotel Day hotels were popular at the time as they provided the burgeoning New York middle class an escape from the overcrowded and oppressive city It was called the Mount Vernon Hotel after George Washington s home in Virginia and functioned in this capacity from 1826 to 1833 The property changed hands again when it was purchased by Jeremiah Towle It served as the Towle family s private residence until 1905 when with the spread of industrialization it was purchased by Standard Gas Light Company The building was preserved until its ultimate purchase by the Colonial Dames of America in 1924 In 1939 the building was opened to the public as the Abigail Adams Smith Museum The Colonial Dames of America reinterpreted the house as a day hotel and reopened it as the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden in 2000 It remains open to the public with museum tours daily except Monday 11 Family tree EditvteAdams family treeJohn Adams 1735 1826 Abigail Adams nee Smith 1744 1818 William Stephens Smith 1755 1815 Abigail Amelia Adams Smith 1765 1813 John Quincy Adams 1767 1848 Louisa Catherine Adams nee Johnson 1775 1852 Charles Adams 1770 1800 Thomas Boylston Adams 1772 1832 George Washington Adams 1801 1829 John Adams II 1803 1834 Charles Francis Adams Sr 1807 1886 Abigail Brown Adams nee Brooks 1808 1889 Frances Cadwalader Crowninshield 1839 1911 John Quincy Adams II 1833 1894 Charles Francis Adams Jr 1835 1915 Henry Brooks Adams 1838 1918 Marian Hooper Adams 1843 1885 Peter Chardon Brooks Adams 1848 1927 George Casper Adams 1863 1900 Charles Francis Adams III 1866 1954 Frances Adams nee Lovering 1869 1956 John Adams 1875 1964 Henry Sturgis Morgan 1900 1982 Catherine Lovering Adams Morgan 1902 1988 Charles Francis Adams IV 1910 1999 Thomas Boylston Adams 1910 1997 Notes Edit Sources identify Smith s specific date of death as August 9 14 or 15 August 15 is almost certainly correct The earliest newspaper accounts of Smith s passing appeared on August 16 The death notice in the Independent Chronicle Boston MA for Monday August 16 1813 specified that Smith died yesterday and that the funeral would be held tomorrow 8 References Edit 2006 American Experience John and Abigail Adams PBS Paramount a b Royall Tyler the Man Nabby Adams Wanted To Marry New England Historical Society Retrieved June 28 2018 Nagel Paul C 1987 The Adams women Abigail and Louisa Adams their sisters and daughters New York Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 503874 6 Smith Abigail Adams 1841 Journal and correspondence of Miss Adams daughter of John Adams second president of the United States written in France and England in 1785 book a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Olson Jim September 30 2002 Jim Olson s Essay on Abigail Adams SHSU edu Huntsville TX Sam Houston State University Retrieved October 24 2022 a b c Abigail Adams Smith History of American Women History of American Women Blog 8 October 2011 Retrieved June 28 2018 Adams John 1854 To Thomas Jefferson The Works of John Adams vol 10 Letters 1811 1825 Indexes Retrieved June 28 2018 16 August 1813 my only daughter expired yesterday morning Death Notice Mrs Abigail Smith Independent Chronicle Boston MA August 16 1813 p 3 via GenealogyBank com National Park Service October 12 2022 Abigail Nabby Smith 1765 1813 NPS gov Washington DC U S Department of the Interior Retrieved October 24 2022 Jeremy Stern October 27 2008 What s Wrong with HBO s Dramatization of John Adams s Story History News Network Retrieved March 18 2011 The 1799 Mount Vernon Hotel 421 E 61st Street November 4 2010 Retrieved January 11 2018 External links EditNagel Paul The Adams Women Abigail and Louisa Adams Their Sisters and Daughters Cambridge Harvard University Press 1999 The Adams Children American Experience John And Abigail Adams Adams family biographies Massachusetts Historical Society Olson James Essays about Abigail Nabby Adams from book Bathsheba s Breast Women Cancer amp History Johns Hopkins University Press 2005 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Abigail Adams Smith amp oldid 1131834734, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
