Mercy Otis Warren
Mercy Otis was born on September 25, 1728 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. She was the sister of James Otis, one of the first leaders for the break from England. Mercy was a highly intelligent women and was dedicated to the American cause, yet her gender kept her from getting involved in politics. Instead she made her statements on the page of her books, which made her a famous author.
She married James Warren in 1754 at the age of twenty-six. Warren was a farmer and merchant from Plymouth, Massachusetts. When her brother James became a pre-revolution leader, Mercy became a counselor and advisor to him and his friends, Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Around 1765, Mercy started to write patriotic poetry, which at the time was used for her and her friends amusement. She published "Massachusetts Song of Liberty" and it soon became the most popular song of the colonies. She then began to write political plays, two examples are "The Adulateur" and "The Group." Mercy invited many guests into her home, such as George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton.
In 1790 she published all her poetic plays in one book which was dedicated to George Washington. She also published a three volume book in 1805 called "History of the Revolutionary War." Mercy Otis Warren died October 19, 1814 in Plymouth.
