America 250 essay Image courtesy National Gallery Portait of Abigail Smith Adams, by Gilbert Stuart.Image courtesy National Gallery “We possess a spirit that will not be conquered. Should we be attacked, you will find a race of Amazons in America.” — Abigail Adams During the birth of our nation, women were just as important as the men. They were writing books and poetry, advising their obtuse husbands, and running farms and businesses. They were also soldiers, spies and resistors.