America's First Ladies

From 1785-1788, the three Adamses lived in London. Nabby got married while there, and Abigail and John became grandparents for the first time.

Transcript and further information available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/episode-2-9/

Music by Matthew Dull

Abigail, Nabby, and John spent one year living in Paris. It was quite the adjustment for Abigail.

Transcript available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/episode-2-8/

Music by Matthew Dull

John is in the Netherlands, John Quincy is in Russia, Charles sails home to America by himself, and then Abigail and Nabby leave Boston to join John in Europe when the war finally ends. This family gets around!

Transcript available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/episode-2-7/

Music by Matthew Dull

This episode finds Abigail and John living in separate countries, on separate continents, for the majority of 1778-1781. Find out how Abigail puts her entrepreneurial spirit to work.

Transcript available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/episode-2-6/

Music by Matthew Dull

This week Abigail continues to struggle with running the farm in John's absence while he continues to live and work in Philadelphia.

Note: this episode contains a somewhat harrowing description of a stillbirth.

Transcript available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/2-5/

Music by Matthew Dull

Note: when this episode went live on 10/24/25, there was a glitch that resulted in two sentences missing at around the 3:30 mark. A new version was uploaded on 10/30/25 with the correct version of the episode.

This week covers the pivotal year of 1776. Abigail writes her most famous letter to John, asking Congress to "Remember the Ladies" when drafting the new laws for the new country.

Transcript available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/2-4/

Music by Matthew Dull

This week, the events leading to the Revolutionary War heat up. John spends his time traveling back and forth between home in Massachusetts and the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The first shots of the war are fired in Lexington and Concord, and Abigail starts to develop her keen sense of political and social commentary.

Transcript and further reading available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/2-3/

Music by Matthew Dull

We cover 10 years in this episode, from Abigail and John's marriage in 1764 through the turbulent decade leading up to the Revolutionary War, and right up until John gets ready to leave for the Continental Congress in September 1774.

Transcript available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/2-2/

Music by Matthew Dull

Welcome to Season 2 of the show! We kick off this season with Abigail Adams's early years, when she was still Abigail Smith. We cover her childhood in Massachusetts, her courtship by John Adams, and their marriage.

Transcript available at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/2-1/

Links to the books I read for this season and a photo of young Abigail at americasfirstladiespodcast.com/season-2/

Music by Matthew Dull

Just a brief programming note to let you know that I'll be activating ads starting with Season 2, which begins next week.