Warren, Mercy Otis:

$9,500 · Offered by William Reese Company

HISTORY OF THE RISE, PROGRESS AND TERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. INTERSPERSED WITH BIOGRAPHICAL, POLITICAL AND MORAL OBSERVATIONS. This excellent account of the events of the Revolution was written by a woman intimate with those prominent in the Revolutionary councils of Massachusetts. Mercy Otis Warren was the younger sister of revolutionary theorist James Otis, the wife of Patriot leader James Warren, and a friend of John and Abigail Adams. Throughout the Revolutionary period, the historian, poet, and dramatist actively corresponded on political matters with numerous leaders including Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and especially John Adams, who became her literary mentor in those early years of unrest. In 1805 her literary career culminated with the publication of the History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution. The book's sharp criticisms of Adams—that his passions and prejudices often debilitated his judgment and that he had demonstrated a distinct leaning toward monarchy during his sojourn in England—led to a heated correspondence and a breach in their friendship in 1807. After nearly five years, Elbridge Gerry managed to effect a reconciliation between Mercy Otis Warren and the Adams family.In their analysis of Warren's abilities as a historical writer, Michael Kraus and Davis D. Joyce conclude that "It is the combination of her access to the relevant materials and her personal acqua

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