1 Young Abigail

Chapter 1 Young Abigail Abigail Smith was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, on November 11, 1744. Her mother, Elizabeth Quincy Smith, came from a respected family. Abigail's father, William

Smith, was a much-admired minister. Abigail had a brother, William, and two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. She was close to her sisters all her life.

Abigail was delicate and sickly when she was little. She didn't go to school. Most girls in those days didn't, even though boys did. Abigail thought it was very unfair that her brother could go to school and she couldn't. She found out early that girls in colonial America didn't have the same rights as boys.

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But Abigail and her sisters were lucky. Their mother taught them reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as how to cook and sew. Their father and grandfather both had big libraries. Abigail was a curious child, and she spent a lot of time with her nose in all those books. Abigail read Shakespeare's plays, history, philosophy and law. Her mother worried that

she read too much. She also worried that Abigail was too stubborn and strong-willed. Grandmother Quincy always was on Abigail's side, though. She said, "Wild colts make the best horses."