Mercy otis warren biography timeline reports

During her career, she wrote and published pamphlets, poems, plays and a three-volume history of the American Revolution. Her mother, Mary Allyne Otis, was a descendant of one of the passengers on the Mayflower, and the family had both wealth and social standing. James Otis Sr. Mercy, now a teenager, had been raised with revolutionary ideas from childhood and was educated at home, along with her brothers, Joseph and James, by the Reverend Jonathan Russell.

The family settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts and Mercy had five sons, all of whom lived to adulthood. James Warren became sheriff of Plymouth, then took on increasingly important political roles. He eventually took on the role of Speaker of the House, and later, head of the Provincial Congress. Mercy as an Advisor to From toMercy Otis Warren was near the center of political activity in the American Revolution.

She hosted revolutionary gatherings in her home, and maintained close friendships with a number of individuals essential to the Revolution. Warren was born on September 25,[ 3 ] [ a ] the third of thirteen children and the first daughter of Colonel James Otis — and Mary Allyne Otis — He won election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in The Otis children were "raised in the midst of revolutionary ideals".

Her father also had unconventional views of his daughter's education, as he fully supported her endeavors, which was extremely unusual for the 18th century.

Mercy otis warren biography timeline reports: Mercy Otis Warren, born

What little of his correspondence with Mercy survives suggests that James encouraged Mercy's academic and literary efforts, treating her as an intellectual equal and confidante. Mercy Otis married James Warren on November 14, After settling in PlymouthJames inherited his father's position as sheriff. His previous occupations included farming and merchanting.

These exchanges of adoration showed both a mutual respect and an enduring bond between the two. What next can I do better than write to a Saint," and Mercy would then respond, "Your spirit I admire - were a few thousands on the Continent of a similar disposition we might defy the power of Britain. Her husband James had a distinguished political career.

Inhe was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Their Plymouth home was often a meeting place for local politics and revolutionaries including the Sons of Liberty. Warren wrote, "Perhaps no single step contributed so much to cement the union of the colonies, and the final acquisition of independence, as the establishment of committees of correspondence.

She wrote: "Every domestic enjoyment depends on the unimpaired possession of civil and religious liberty. In a letter to Catharine Macaulayshe writes: "America stands armed with resolution and virtue; but she still recoils at the idea of drawing the sword against the nation from whom she derived her origin. Yet Britain, like an unnatural parent, is ready to plunge her dagger into the bosom of her affectionate offspring.

She became a correspondent and advisor to many political leaders, including Washington, Samuel Adams, John HancockPatrick HenryThomas Jeffersonand especially John Adams, who became her literary mentor in the years leading to the Revolution. In a letter to James Warren, Adams writes, "Tell your wife that God Almighty has entrusted her with the Powers for the good of the World, which, in the cause of his Providence, he bestows on few of the human race.

That instead of being a fault to use them, it would be criminal to neglect them.

Mercy otis warren biography timeline reports: Mercy Otis Warren was

She had already become acquainted with John Adam's cousin, Samuelas he was a frequent visitor [ 24 ] [ 25 ] Adams himself had suggested the basic content of the poem, [ 25 ] while his request that Warren write was probably due to Warren's close friendship with his wife, Abigail. For this work, she was able to use her memory of the Revolution, [ 29 ] but she solicited copies of congressional debates, letters, and other information from the active participants in the revolution, many of whom she knew personally.

Before and during the Revolution, the Warren home served as a gathering place for patriot debates and meetings, allowing Mercy Warren to meet patriot leaders and their wives. In addition, her husband, James, was on the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence and among other official positions served as the paymaster of the Continental Army in[ 16 ] [ 17 ] a time when Mercy Warren would travel between home and the army to serve as her husband's secretary.

Among those she met was George Washington, whom she described from their first meeting as "one of the most amiable and accomplished gentlemen, both in person, mind, and manners Warren wrote several plays, including the satiric The Adulateur It was published as a part of a longer play by an unknown author without Warren's consent in One of the main characters in Warren's part of the play is "Rapatio", who represented Hutchinson.

Therefore, Rapatio is the antagonist in The Adulateur. The protagonist is "Brutus", whom Warren created to represent her brother, James Otis. In the play, the characters who are Whigs are brave, independent people, while the characters who are Tories are selfish and rude. The play includes a happy ending for the Whigs. After the play was published, Hutchinson become known as Rapatio to citizens of Massachusetts who identified with the Whigs.

Because her first play was so successful and she thoroughly enjoyed writing about politics, Warren did not stop there. Inshe wrote The Defeatalso featuring a character based on Hutchinson.

Mercy otis warren biography timeline reports: Mercy Otis Warren ()

Hutchinson had no idea of the accuracy of her plot nor completely comprehended the impact she made on his political fate. Warren's assistance in the movement to remove Governor Hutchinson from his position through The Defeat was one of her greatest accomplishments, and she allowed the piece a rare happy ending. Warren was one of the most convincing Patriots in the Revolution and her works inspired others to become Patriots.

Her work earned the congratulations of numerous prominent men of the age, including George Washington and Alexander Hamiltonwho remarked, "In the career of dramatic composition at least, female genius in the United States has outstripped the male". All of Warren's works were published anonymously until when she published Poems, Dramatic and Miscellaneousthe first work bearing her name.

The book contains eighteen political poems and two plays. The two plays, called "The Sack of Rome" and "The Ladies of Castille," deal with liberty as well as social and moral values that were necessary to the success of the new republic. Inshe completed her literary career with a three-volume History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution.

President Thomas Jefferson ordered subscriptions for himself and his cabinet and noted his "anticipation of her truthful account of the last thirty years that will furnish a more instructive lesson to mankind than any equal period known in history. Warren died on October 19,at the age of 86, six years after her husband died in He was a motivational speaker, but his words did not have the same effect that they had before.

Thomas Hutchinson, the Otis families' greatest enemy was appointed Governor of Massachusetts after the current Governor was removed by the King of England for letting colonists riot in the streets. Mercy felt that if her brother had not been injured, he would have written a phaplet about it. She decided to take up where he had left off by writing her own play about him.

Mar 26, After Hutchinson was appointed Govenor of Massachusettes, Mercy decided to carry on what her brother would have done if he had not been injured. She wrote a play featuring a cruel government lead by a govenor name Rapatio, who represented Hutchinson. The hero of the play was her brother, who was Brutus, a honest, patriotic senator.

Mercy otis warren biography timeline reports: Born on September 14, in

This play marked the beginning of Mercy's political career thorought writing. Jul 19, After the Adulateur, Mercy wrote another play. It was a sequel to the Adulateur with Brutus and Rapatio coming back. In the end of this one, Rapatio and his followers were beaten. Mercy was saying that the Patriots would defeat the loyalists. However, the play portraid that the colonist would not get independance from the war.

Both plays helped many people change their minds about what side of the Revolution to believe. Dec 16, The Boston Tea party was when colonists dumped chests of tea out of Boston Harbor. More than pounds of tea were dumped. John Adams wrote to James Warren about it, wishing that someone would write a poem about it. A month later, a poem, The Squabble of the Sea Nymphs appeared in newspapers.

Mercy Otis Warren did not put her name on the piece, but many people knew that she wrote it. Jan 23, InMercy's third play was published in the Boston Gazette. The majority of the characters in this play were women. The play made fun of British officals, saying that they were corrupt and cared only about money. The play ended with a Tory woman making a speech which left a character named Freedom crying on stage.

Many patriots were inspired to keep working for freedom so that she would not be left crying on their stage. Period: Apr 18, to Nov 25, Most of Mercy's writting is about the fight between the Patriots and the Loyalists, including her plays and several poems. Mercy lived thought the war and was influenced by it when she was writting. She also influenced the war by her writing, causing many people to pick the patriot side over the loyalists.

Jun 16, Mercy's husband James and her brother James were both at the battle of Bunker Hill. After the battle, Mercy began to worry about her families safety, from her husband to her son at Harvard, even her four other sons at home.