Quincy 400: Abigail Adams Smith and the Historic Treatment of Breast Cancer in Colonial America

Quincy 400: Abigail Adams Smith and the Historic Treatment of Breast Cancer in Colonial America
Thursday, October 30 | 7 – 8:30 PM
Community Meeting Room, Main Library, 40 Washington St. Quincy, MA

The City of Quincy proudly marks 400 years of rich history, community, and culture since its settlement in 1625. Known as the birthplace of two U.S. Presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams, Quincy has been at the forefront of shaping American democracy and innovation. This milestone is an opportunity to honor our past, celebrate our present, and envision a bright future together.

Continue the festivities with us at the Thomas Crane Public Library on Thursday, October 30 from 7 – 8:30 PM for a local history and medical talk presented by the Abigail Adams Historical Society (AAHS), stewards of the birthplace of Abigail Adams, in partnership with Thomas Crane Public Library.

Abigail and John Adams’s daughter Abigail (“Nabby”) Adams Smith, born in Braintree (now Quincy) in 1765, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1810, undergoing a radical mastectomy in 1811. Despite the surgery, cancer spread throughout her body, causing her death at age 48 in 1813. Abigail Adams expressed her grief at the loss of her daughter with the words, “The wound which has lacerated my Bosom cannot be healed.”

An expert on the history of medicine will discuss Nabby Smith’s case. David Jones, M.D., Ph.D., the A. Bernard Ackerman Professor of the Culture of Medicine at Harvard University, will offer his insights into the treatment of breast cancer in the early 19th century.

Visit our Events Calendar for more info and more great happenings at TCPL.