Remember the Ladies
On this final day of Women's History Month, I found the perfect closing statement.
In a letter dated March 31, 1776 Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, regarding the Continental Congress.
"I long to hear that you have declared independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, 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. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation."
Of course, the right to vote wouldn't come until the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920.
So we remember the ladies who helped shape our history - through activism and advocacy, education and academia, the sciences, art and literature, even politics and law.
I think of the women I looked up to as a kid, the women I saw in leading positions, the women I read about and saw on TV. I ask you to share one of your favorites.
Jane Goodall is one of the first names that comes to mind for me.
The work she's done for the conservancy and understanding of chimpanzees really influenced me as a kid. Having that compassion for other animals, for one thing, but also the psychology of her approach. I don't think I really realized that before now...
Comments
Post a Comment