http://www.thelizlibrary.org/suffrage/abigail.htm
Abigail Adams To John Adams
March 31, 1776:
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.
That your sex are naturally
tyrannical is a truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute; but
such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up -- the harsh tide of master
for the more tender and endearing one of friend.
Why, then, not put it out of
the power of the vicious and the lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity
with impunity?
John Adams To Abigail Adams
April 14, 1776
As to your extraordinary code
of laws, I cannot but laugh.
We have been told that our
struggle has loosened the bonds of government everywhere; that children and
apprentices were disobedient; that schools and colleges were grown turbulent;
that Indians slighted their guardians, and negroes grew insolent to their
masters.
But your letter was the first
intimation that another tribe, more numerous and powerful than all the rest,
were grown discontented.
This is rather too coarse a
compliment, but you are so saucy, I won't blot it out.
We have only the name of
masters, and rather than give up this, which would completely subject us to the
despotism of the petticoat, I hope General Washington and all our brave heroes
would fight."
May 7, 1776:
I cannot say that I think you
are very generous to the ladies; for, whilst you are proclaiming peace and
good-will to men, emancipating all nations, you insist upon retaining an
absolute power over wives.
But you must remember that arbitrary power is like most other
things which are very hard, very liable to be broken; and, notwithstanding all
your wise laws and maxims, we have it in our power, not only to free ourselves,
but to subdue our masters, and without violence, throw both your natural and
legal authority at our feet."
1777 -- Women lose the right to
vote in New York...
1780 -- Women lose the right to
vote in Massachusetts...
1784 -- Women lose the right to
vote in New Hampshire...
1787 -- Women in all states except New Jersey lose the right
to voteÉ
1920 Ð Women get the right to vote with the 19th Amendment