orig. Mercy Otis
born Sept. 25, 1728, Barnstable, Mass.
died Oct. 19, 1814, Plymouth, Mass., U.S.
U.S. poet, dramatist, and historian.
The sister of James Otis , she received no formal education but nevertheless became a woman of letters and a friend and correspondent of leading political figures. She commented on the issues of the day in political satires, plays, and pamphlets. Though a defender of the American Revolution, she opposed the Constitution, arguing that power should rest with the states. Her most significant work, History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution (3 vol., 1805), covered the period from 1765 to 1800.