Mar 01, 2022

Question of the Day [Women's History Month]: Abigail Adams is the earliest documented female investor in US history. What did she invest in?

Answer: US Government Bonds

Example 18th Century Bond

Questions:

  1. What makes an investment worth putting your money into? Why?
  2. How can a person decide between two different investment options? What should be considered?
  3. What can you learn from Abigail Adams and her financial decision-making?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

 

Behind the numbers (Business Insider):

"Abigail Adams (1744-1818), the wife of John Adams and the First Lady of the United States from 1797 to 1801, is one of the earliest documented female investors in U.S. history, according to Aguilera's report. A book written by Woody Holton reveals that Abigail was a very successful bond speculator.

Like many other families during the Revolutionary War, John spent a great deal of time away from his wife. So he asked her to manage his finances and the family farm.

In 1783, John advised Abigail to invest in farmland, according to Holton. However, Abigail decided to ignore her husband's advice and instead invested in U.S. government bonds, which brought her far greater returns."


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Check out the NGPF Virtual PD on March 8th titled Personal Finance on Social Media: Highlighting Women!

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About the Author

Mason Butts

After graduating from UCLA with a Master's in Education, Mason spent 5 years as a science educator in a South Los Angeles public high school. He is committed to supporting the holistic growth of all students and empowering them to live a life of relational, academic, and financial success. Now settled in the Bay Area, Mason enjoys facilitating professional developments and partnering with educators as they prepare students for a bright financial future. When Mason is not building curriculum or planning a training, he can be found cycling, trying new foods, and exploring the outdoors.

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