Off the Shelf
It seems that Abigail Adams was a pretty down girl:
I long to hear that you have declared an 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.
(From The Letters of John and Abigail Adams, Letter 91, March 1776. And yes, I did start reading this after I saw the John Adams mini-series, and yes I realize that it makes me sort of a bandwagon douchebag. And yes, Abigail supported the sedition act that outlawed free speech, well, we can’t be perfect all the time.)
