Abigail Adams Smith

Abigail Adams Smith (July 14, 1765 – August 15, 1813), nicknamed "Nabby", was a daughter of Abigail and John Adams, founding father and second President of the United States, and the older sister of John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States. She was named for her mother.

Romance and marriage Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on July 14, 1765. She was the earliest born of any confirmed biological child to the President of the United States, and the first to be a part of the First Family in life.

At the age of 18, she met and fell in love with Royall Tyler, who addressed her as "Amelia", a name she used with suitors. Her father thought she was too young to be courted, but he eventually accepted it. At one point the two were even engaged to be married. But John Adams, then the U.S. minister to the Kingdom of Great Britain, eagerly called for his wife and daughter to join him in London. For a time, Adams maintained a long-distance relationship with Tyler, but eventually broke off the engagement, leaving Tyler depressed. Adams's observations of European life and customs, and of many of the distinguished statesmen of the day, were later published.

Their courtship was thought to be too short by Adams's parents, and historians have not considered it to be a good marriage. While Colonel Smith was kind to his family, he never settled, continually seeking a better lot in life. He spent more money than he earned and lost everything to real estate speculation in the early 1800s. This left them on a small farm along the Chenango River in central New York.

Their children were:

Diagnosis of breast cancer In 1810, Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother, husband, and daughter Caroline were also on hand to assist. She was buried at Hancock Cemetery in Quincy.

Depictions in popular culture Smith's death is a poignant part of the 2008 John Adams miniseries, in which she is played by Sarah Polley; Smith as a young girl was played by Madeline Taylor in the first three episodes of the same series. The series took artistic license by shifting Smith's cancer diagnosis to 1803, and changing many other aspects of her life.

Family tree