Lesson 3: Unrest and War
Wrapping Up
Conclusion
As discontent turned to war, the responsibilities that fell to Abigail Adams grew ever greater. In John's absence, she handled household responsibilities that usually would have fallen to her husband. In the next chapters, you'll learn more about John's work in the Continental Congress and about Abigail's life back home.
Questions to Discuss
- Do you think the author does a good job of balancing the personal life and inner thoughts of Abigail Adams with the events of the Revolution unfolding around her? Do you wish the author had shifted the balance either more toward Abigail's personal world or toward her historical context?
- What is the difference between active voice and passive voice? (Your child should understand that in active voice, the subject is completing the action described by the verb and in passive voice, the subject is being acted upon.)
- What challenges did Abigail Adams face while John was away? How well did she handle those challenges? (Abigail Adams needed to manage not only her usual domestic responsibilities -- housekeeping, childcare, etc. -- but also the farm and John's business. She had to attend to the budget and make decisions that would normally be made by John or together with him. She managed everything very competently.)
Things to Review
- Review your child's responses to the questions about today's readings.
- Review your child's active and passive voice activity page.
- Review your child's paragraph about the Boston Massacre engraving or about the Boston Tea Party.