Mercy Otis Warren was a published poet and political playwright at a time when many women kept their thoughts to themselves. She took an interest in history at a young age, and after getting married in 1754, was encouraged by her politically active husband to pursue writing. While maintaining a friendship with John and Abigail Adams, she began writing political dramas, which dealt with the turmoil leading up to the American Revolution. "The Adulator" and "The Group" were plays published in the mid-1700s, on the brink of the Revolution. Some of her later works, like "Poems, Dramatic and Miscellaneous" and "History of the American Revolution," were influenced by her first-hand experiences with the war.

 

 

Works Cited:

• Article is excerpted from the NWHM Fall 2006 Newsletter
• PHOTO: the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  

 

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