What phrase did Abigail Adams use when urging lawmakers to protect women’s rights?

Abigail Adams used the phrase “Remember the Ladies” when urging lawmakers to protect women’s rights.

She wrote the words in a March 31, 1776, letter to her husband, John Adams, while he was attending the Continental Congress. Her appeal came as colonial leaders debated independence and the principles that would shape the new nation.

Abigail warned that women would not accept laws made without their representation and urged the creation of a more equitable legal order. John Adams replied humorously and did not endorse the sweeping change she requested.

The letter did not produce immediate voting rights or constitutional equality for women. Nevertheless, “Remember the Ladies” became one of the best-known early American statements connecting the Revolution’s liberty rhetoric with women’s rights.