Today in History, on Sept. 25 1728, Mercy Otis Warren was born. An ardent patriot advocate for American independence, Warren was the author of “History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution,” the first real chronicle of the War for Independence.
Related many of the most famous Whig politicians in Massachusetts, she became known as one of the best writers of her time, and was known as the “Muse of the Revolution.” By surrounding herself with the most famous figures of the time, and by recording the pivotal events that gripped her world, Otis’ writings are deserving of study still today.
Later in life, Warren became a tireless advocate for a bill of rights to be added to the Constitution, opposing the document otherwise. She was a leading critic of the Johns Adams administration, rupturing her friendship with the man. Thomas Jefferson was a huge fan of her work and considered her a friend, ordering subscriptions of her writing for his cabinet. Jefferson recollected her “high station in the ranks of genius,” and viewed her as a brilliant patriot.
Even Alexander Hamilton, who radically opposed her political philosophy, showered her with accolades by suggesting that in the realm of dramatic composition, “female genius in the United States has outstripped the Male.”
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