History Alive is a program of first-person portrayals of historical figures by presenters who have conducted scholarly research on their character. An active participant in our nation’s birth, Abigail Adams is well known for her advocacy of women's rights, especially in education, and her opposition to slavery. As a valued confidant and advisor to her husband John Adams, the nation's second president, Abigail cautioned him that the Founding Fathers should “remember the ladies” in the new laws they would write for our young country. Together, they were the first inhabitants of the White House.