Capítulo 129: Congressman Abigail Adams of Massachusetts
Columbia, Federal District, the United States of America
February 3rd, 1801
Abigail Adams, the first woman to be elected into Congress, walked up a long flight of steps towards the United States Capitol Building. The "House of Congress" was huge; it was nearly the size of a small town and contained various chambers and rooms. The giant dome that encased the top of the Capitol glittered white as she finished her climb to the top. From the final steps, she saw the words "E Pluribus Unum " engraved on top of the large wooden doors that served as the entrance to the Capitol, the official motto (and belief) of the United States. It was fitting for the republic: out of many states, cultures, races, and beliefs, there was one United States to unite them all.
There were a few Congressmen towards the entrance and nearly all of them turned to stare at her when she arrived. She replied with a graceful smile and greeted them with pleasantries. Some of them seemed unnerved by her presence, while others were more welcoming. Nevertheless, the people of her district had spoken; Abigail Adams was the House Representative of Massachusetts' Tenth Congressional District. Whether the other Congressmen liked it or not, she was here to stay.
The first Congressional session of the year was set to begin at eleven o'clock sharp, but she was at the Capitol two hours early in order to be sworn in with her fellow junior Congressmen. With the recent redistricting of all Congressional Districts across the United States, there were dozens of new Representatives in the Eleventh United States Congress. That was one of the reasons why she managed to win the House seat in her district, as the redistricting left the MA's Tenth Congressional District without an incumbent. Thus, she managed to edge out her competitor (a Unionist, which was no surprise since it was in Massachusetts) due to her name recognition and nearly all the women vote. Regardless, she was going to prove that she belonged in Congress to serve as an inspiration for future generations of women. From this point forward, she was going to be the precedent for female Congressmen. It was strange that the United States, a bastion of freedom and democracy, was so... lacking when it came to women's rights. Even France had pulled ahead of the United States in that regard, and France was no longer a republic. Regardless, she was here to bring about change to the republic, a change she knew was going to be for the better.
She waited in lines for a few minutes to take her Oath of Office, chatting with a junior South Carolina Representative named Samuel Earle. He was pleasant to converse with, as he seemed just as eager as her to begin his term in office and was unfazed by her sex. From their conversation, Abigail was able to discern that the new representative was a former police officer in the city of Charleston and a state senator. During his time as a member of the police force, he rescued the then-South Carolina Senator Eliyah James (who Abigail knew was the current American ambassador to Haiti) from a mob of racists. Shortly after that incident, Representative Earle pursued a career in politics, became popular with the locals, and was elected into Congress in the recent elections. Before they could continue their conversation, the male Representative was called into a private room to take his Oath of Office. Just moments later, Abigail was also brought into another private room and a federal judge awaited her inside.
"Congresswoman," The federal judge greeted her cordially and lightly shook her hand, "My name is George Keith Taylor, a judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Fourth Circuit. I will be the one administrating and witnessing your oath today."
"It's an honor," Abigail replied with a small bow.
Judge Taylor placed a copy of the Constitution into his right hand and beckoned her to place her left hand on the piece of literature. She carefully placed her hand on the Supreme Law of the United States and raised her right hand. The court official nodded and watched her carefully, "Now repeat after me."
"I, Abigail Adams, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."
"Welcome to the United States Congress, Congresswoman Adams," The federal judge stated as he lowered the Constitution, "Please do not be late for your first session."
Abigail thanked him and left the room elegantly. She was in no hurry to the House Chamber as there was still an hour left before the first session began. However, she decided to arrive in the Chamber early in order to get a glimpse of the Chamber itself and to prepare for a short speech she had planned for her introduction. After entering the large room with hundreds of seats (which were for future representatives as the United States grew), she decided to take a seat in the front row and waited for the other members to gather.
Within an hour, almost all the House Representatives were gathered inside the chamber. Many of them mingled and struck up conversations amongst themselves. Others sank into their seats silently. It was quite a sight, as nearly two hundred people were bustling and chattering within the room. There were whites, African Americans (she was unable to tell the difference between an "African American" and a "Caribbean American" by looks alone), and Indians all enjoying each other's company. The activities only died down after Speaker of the House Abraham Baldwin entered the room. The Speaker was a Democrat from Georgia and received his duties due to the political coalition between the Republicans and the Democrats (since the Republicans held the Speakership the last time they held a majority in the House, they ceded the Speakership to a Democrat after they gained a majority in the most recent elections). Speaker Baldwin cleared his throat and pounded his gavel on the elevated podium in front of all the other House members, "The first Congressional Session of the House of Representatives of the Eleventh United States Congress will now begin. Please, take your seats."
The members of the House obliged and sat in their unassigned seats within several minutes. The Speaker of the House looked around the room before his eyes landed on Abigail. She noticed that he squinted at her as if his eyesight was failing him. He adjusted his line of sight before he could see her frown and addressed the chamber. There was no doubt that a few of her fellow Representatives were also looking at her the same way, "As per tradition, we will begin our session with roll call. New representatives will be given the option to introduce themselves to the rest of the House. After that is complete, we will proceed with a review of the legislation that was passed last year. Afterward, we will enter a recess. During that time, any bills that will be discussed today must be placed in the "hopper" at the side of the Clerk's desk. I will now begin roll call."
Abigail had spent countless hours researching her fellow Congressmen and knew the political affiliation for most of the Representatives from the northern states. As the Speaker rattled off the names, her mind unconsciously recalled information on each known Congressman that was called.
"Representative Nathan Alarie of Quebec." A member of the Republican Party, he was in his second term in office.
"Present."
"Representative Thomas Boutin of Quebec." He was a member of the Democratic Party and was one of the most senior Representatives. He was in his seventh term in the House and was known to be a vocal supporter of states' rights.
"Present."
"Representative Jordan Livingston of Quebec." The representative's father was a Revolutionary War officer and one of the earliest Quebecois supporters for the United States. Representative Livingston held similar beliefs to his father and was an ardent Unionist.
"Present."
It took some time for her name to be called (as the Speaker was going from the most northern states to the most southern states). She was alert throughout the entire procedure and immediately replied when her name was called.
"Representative Abigail Adams of Massachusetts."
"Present."
"Do you have a word for us, Congress...woman?"
"I do," Abigail rose from her seat and turned to look at the hundreds of male representatives with a determined expression, "First of all, I would like to thank Mister Speaker for allowing me to speak in front of my Congressional counterparts."
She noticed a few Representatives winced when they heard the words "Congressional counterparts." Despite the nonverbal insult, she continued, "I am aware that my presence is unnerving to some of the esteemed members of the House of Representatives. Up until this point, all elected members of the federal government have been men. However, I am here to assure you that despite my sex, I will carry out my duties as a Representative to the best of my abilities. I am not seeking special treatment, sirs, I am here to represent my constituents and participate in Congress like all other Representatives. I only ask that you keep your minds and your hearts open. You will discover that I am more than an aging woman with grey hair."
That last comment earned a few chuckles from the serious and somber crowd. After her short speech, she bowed and sat down to scattered applause. Speaker Baldwin looked uncomfortable as he adjusted the collar of his jacket, "Right, then we will continue. Representative Fisher Ames of Massachusetts."
"Present." An uncompromising Unionist and one of the most prominent members of the Union Party.
And the session continued.
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