Amelia's Revolutionary Ancestors
- Jack Bruemmer
- May 20
- 3 min read
By Jack Bruemmer
Amelia Earhart was born in the home of Alfred G. Otis, her maternal grandfather, who descended from the prominent Otis family. Chief among these family members were James Otis Sr., his son James Otis Jr., and his daughter Mercy Otis Warren. These prominent members of the early American colonies were foundational in the early stages of the American Republic, and their contributions to the beginning of the United States of America should not be overlooked.
James Otis Sr.
The family's patriarch was James Otis Sr., the 'undisputed legal leader' of the town of Hingham, Massachusetts. James Otis Sr. laid the legal foundations for the Massachusetts Colony, and, as a reward for his distinguished service, he was appointed the attorney general of the colony in 1748 (1). James Otis Sr. ran the legal wing of the colony for many years. In 1761, James Otis Sr. gave a rousing speech against the Writs of Assistance, acts that forced the American colonists to turn over documents to the British; some people called this the climax of his patriotic career (2). James Otis Sr. also opposed the Intolerable Acts, including the Stamp Act and Sugar Act, which began in 1774 (3). Unfortunately, he passed away in 1778, in the midst of the American Revolution. James Otis Sr. never saw the conclusion of the American Revolution, but he passed his patriotic fervor to his children who would live to see the foundation of the American Republic.
James Otis Jr.
James Otis Jr. began his legal career in 1748 when he was admitted to the Bar. He was present for his father's speech against the Writs in 1761, and James Otis Jr. also spoke at that event (4). This propelled him forward and into elected office that same year, becoming a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives . James Otis Jr. was much more fiery than his father; instead of being soft-spoken, he was much more outspoken, willing to speak to anyone in an effort to whip up anti-British sentiment. After the Stamp Act of 1765 was published, James led the Massachusetts Legislature in its opposition (5). James was not just a verbal fighter, but a physical fighter as well. In 1769, he got into a fight with a British officer and was left with a deep forehead gash as a result (6). He would never mentally recover from the incident. James spent the rest of his life wandering, staying as friends' houses, and bouncing between stability and instability. He passed in 1783 after being struck by lightning (7). James' contribution to the Early Republic was the powerful rallying of his constituents toward an independent America.
Mercy Otis Warren
Mercy Owen Warren also took part in the Revolution and the early American Republic. Mercy Otis Warren received some education from her brothers' instructors, but not much. Originally, Mercy wanted nothing to do with governments or the running of them. This changed after her marriage to the politically active James Warren in 1754 (8). By 1766, James had been elected to the Massachusetts Legislature, and Mercy had begun writing political satire. By 1775, three of Mercy's works, The Adulator, Defeat, and The Group, had been published in Massachusetts (9). However, her most important book, History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution, was published in 1805 (10). As the title suggests, this book was one of the first chronologies of the American Revolution, as well as being the first nonfiction book written and published in the Western Hemisphere. Mercy's contribution to the early Republic was much more cultural than political, and she helped spearhead today's American culture.
These Otis family members helped shape the American Revolution and the Early American Republic. Without their contributions, America would not be the same. However, these citizens were able to guide the American people through culture, fervor, and politics toward the future. Their legacies, while not as well known as those of the Founding Fathers, should not be forgotten. They stand as a reminder that every American can make a difference.
Endnotes
Samuel Elliot Morrison, Harrison Gray Otis, (Riverside Press, Cambridge MA, 1913) p.8.
Ibid.
Ibid, 11.
“The Coming of the American Revolution 1764 to 1776.” Massachusetts Historical Society.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Bibliography
Hacker, Jeffery, The Story of Barnstable’s James and Mercy Otis, Cape Cod Publications, Cape Cod, Ma., 2019.
“Job Otis” Family Search, Accessed May 3, 2025 https://ancestors.familysearch.org
Morrison, Samuel, Harrison Gray Otis, University of Illinois Press, Urbana Il. 1913.
“The Coming of the American Revolution 1764 to 1776.” Massachusetts Historical Society. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://www.masshist.org/revolution/coercive.php
