Patriotism in the female Sex is the most disinterested of all… — Abigail Adams · Skopia

← Back to quotes

Patriotism in the female Sex is the most disinterested of all virtues. Excluded from honours and from offices, we cannot attach ourselves to the State or Goverment from having held a place of Eminence...Yet all History and every age exhibit Instances of patriotick virtue in the female Sex; which considering our situation equals the most Heroick of yours.

Letter to John Adams, June 17, 1782 · 1782

★ 3.6

Other tags relating to this quote

Topic

Patriotism Oppression of women

Medium

Time

Person

Provenance

Current citation

Adams, Abigail. Quoted in Abigail and John Adams: The Americanization of Sensibility, written by G. J. Barker-Benfield. University of Chicago Press, 2010, ch. 8.

Original citation

Adams, Abigail. Letter to John Adams. 17 June 1782.

Related quotes

Other quotes that share a subject, a time, or a voice with this one.

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D · 1778

Another quote aboutTopic·Patriotism

No, I make no pretension to patriotism. So long as my voice can be heard on this or the other side of the Atlantic, I will hold up America to the lightning scorn of moral indignation. In doing this, I shall feel myself discharging the duty of a true patriot; for he is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins.

Frederick Douglass

1847

Another quote aboutTopic·Patriotism

So true is it that unnatural generally means only uncustomary, and that everything which is usual appears natural. The subjection of women to men being a universal custom, any departure from it quite naturally appears unnatural.

John Stuart Mill

The Subjection of Women · 1869

Another quote aboutTopic·Oppression of women

I asked a Burmese why women, after centuries of following their men, now walk ahead. He said there were many unexploded land mines since the war.

1957

Another quote aboutTopic·Oppression of women

These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed.... Great necessities call out great virtues.

Letter to John Adams, 1780 · 1780

Another quote byPerson·Abigail Adams

Other media

Works in other forms that share a subject with this one.

Other media onSubject·Patriotism

Book · 1959

A Separate Peace

John Knowles

Song · 1969

The Kinks

Song · 1917

American Quartet