Mercy Otis Warren wasn’t your typical early American woman. She was a woman with strong political viewpoints, which she wrote about and published for the world to see and consider.
Did anyone in society take her views seriously?
Did her writings sway public opinion in the direction of her political views?
In this episode, Rosemarie Zagarri, a professor of history at George Mason University and author of A Woman’s Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution, helps us kick off a new, six-episode series about the people of the American Revolution by taking us through the life of Mercy Otis Warren.
About the Show
Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.
It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.
Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.
Episode Summary
Rosemarie Zagarri, a professor of history at George Mason University and author of A Woman’s Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution, helps us kick off a new, six-episode series about the people of the American Revolution by taking us through the life of Mercy Otis Warren.
During our investigation of Warren’s life, Rosie reveals who Mercy Otis Warren was and why she was a remarkable woman; The roles 18th- and early 19th-century Americans expected girls and women to play in society; And, details about Mercy Otis Warren’s participation in the American Revolution and in the Constitution ratification debates.
What You’ll Discover
- Mercy Otis Warren
- Education for girls and women during the 18th and early 19th centuries
- Warren’s relationship with her brother James Otis Jr.
- James Otis Jr., and his arguments against writs of assistance
- Mercy Otis Warren’s relationship with her husband James Warren
- The “revolutionaries salon” in the Warren household
- Republican motherhood
- Mercy Otis Warren’s political views
- How Warren participated in the American Revolution
- Warren as a writer
- Warren’s views on the Constitution of 1787
- Warren’s History of the American Revolution
Links to People, Places, and Publications
- Rosemarie Zaggari
- Rosie’s George Mason webpage
- A Woman’s Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution
- Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic
Sponsor Links
- Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture
- The Octo: Blogging Early America
- Mapping Early American Elections
- Past is Present blog
Complementary Episodes
- Episode 032: Michelle Marchetti Coughlin, One Colonial Woman’s World
- Episode 050: Marla Miller, Betsy Ross
- Episode 123: Revolutionary Allegiances (Doing History)
- Episode 129: J.L. Bell, The Road to Concord
- Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution
Time Warp Question
In your opinion, what might have happened if Mercy Otis Warren had not written about politics during the American Revolution? If Warren had not written her political satires and poetry, would support for the Revolution have been different in Massachusetts?
Questions, Comments, Suggestions
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