Mercy Otis Warren

(1728-1814)

Biography

Born in Barnstable, Massachusetts, Mercy Otis was a highly educated woman when she married James Warren in 1754 and settled in Plymouth. An ardent Patriot during the Revolution, Warren's rural life did not hinder her active role in the political debates of her day. Through her letters, dramas, and poetry, she expressed her informed opinion about the Revolution for public and private consumption. Her writings argued for independence, egalitarianism, and democratic values. In spite of the hardships of the Revolutionary years, she lived to the age of eighty-six and continued for many years to be a productive author.

Writings

Poems, Dramatic and Miscellaneous (1790)

"The Squabble of the Sea Nymphs"

History of the Rise, Promise, and Termination of the American Revolution (1805)

Papers

Massachusetts Historical Society

Bibliography