Mery Otis Warren recognized that she was an unusual woman in her era. It
was rare that a woman would be
as well educated as she was, and even more unlikely that a woman would
understand and take part in the
world of political affairs. In many ways, Warren struggled with her identity
as an intellectual woman in an age of
male domination. She recognized that it was a not a traditionally feminine
activity to write plays- especially
satires, which were considered "masculine" works. However, none of these
opinions halted her continued
quest for knowledge and involvement, nor did they stifle the creativity
and expression of her ideals. Below are
some examples of Mercy Warren's friends and contempories who knew her well
and influenced her life.
James Warren
Mercy Otis Warren's husband, James, was one of her biggest supporters.
He respected and admired her intellect and talents.
James Warren would occasionally send her transcripts to friends and acquaintances
for review, entertainment, or publication. He
recognized that Mercy had extraordinary talents, and that she was unlike
any other woman of the time. He referred to her talents
as "'masculine genius'" coupled with a "'weakness which is the consequence
of the exquisite delicacy and softness of her sex'".
These statements reflect the mentality of the era. Even an open-minded
man who supported his wife's endeavors was forced to
view her talents as "masculine" since women were generally considered to
be void of talent. In spite of this, James Warren was an
ardent admirer and enthusiast of his wife and did not attempt to exclude
her or suppress her interest in the political realm.
John Adams
John Adams was in constant contact with Mercy Warren over thecourse of
his political career. His wife was also an intellectual
woman who also began to correspond with Warren. Mercy Warren frequently
sent her literary works to him for
review and suggestions. When Warren wrote The Adulateur, she was aware
that it was unusual for a woman of
that time period to write a satire. She asked Adams if she would be "deficient"
in femininity if she printed her play
mocking Thomas Hutchinson. Adams was in full support of her idea and found
nothing inappropriate about her
writing of the play. However, John Adams attitude towards his own wife
was much different. He believed that
Abigail should keep her political opinions to herself in the presence of
gentleman, thus revealing a double standard
in his dealings with intellectual women. This reflects the pressure of
the society of the late 18th Century. It was inappropriate for a
woman to be involved in politics- a realm that only included men. While
John Adams did support Mercy's anonymous efforts, he
maintained an awareness of the societal opinions of the day.
As time continued, John Adams began to make statements in his letters that
led Mercy Warren to believe that he was challenging
her ability to discuss political affairs. In a letter to James Warren,
Adams stated that Mercy must have misunderstood his
comments. Several years later, a similar event occurred concerning the
writing of Warren's History of the American Revolution.
Mercy Warren had criticized some of the activities of Adams in her book,
and Adams retaliated by stating that "history is not the
Province of the Ladies". Throughout the rise of John Adams political career,
it appears that his tolerance of Mercy Otis Warren's
bold actions decreased. He was no longer an ardent supporter of her works
or her ideas. It appears that he began to see that
Warren's activities were clearly out of the "realm" of a traditional woman.
This, coupled with his frustration with her opinions of
him revealed in her History, nearly led to a severing of an extensive political
and personal friendship had mutual friends not
intervened.
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was a dear friend and proponent of Mercy Warren and her ideas.
They were in constant
correspondence and discussed many topics, such as politics, domestic concerns,
childrearing, philosophy, and
literary works. Their friendship was a means of support for both women,
especially through the trials of the
rebellion and the chaos of the foundation of a new political order. Both
individuals recognized that they were
not like other women, and sought to benefit females by encouraging female
education and awareness. Their
friendship lasted until 1780, when the Adams family moved to Europe. Distance
as well as political differences
separated these women. They did not correspond again until 1789 when John
Adams was elected president.
Over the course of their acquaintance, Abigail Adams had a high regard
for Mercy Warren, and turned to her
for both political and personal opinions and support. Adams also had great
praise for Warren's talents as a
poet and playwright. Overall, the mutual respect that these two intellectual
women shared for one another became an example for
many women of this period.
Catherine Macauley
Catherine Macauley (Graham) was a prominent English historian of the period.
She was acquainted with James Otis and John
Adams, and through them she made contact with Mercy Warren. The women shared
a correspondence that only two intellectual
women could share, and both gained the others respect and friendship. Mercy
began writing to Macauley in the years before the
Revolutionary War. The women frequently discussed American politics and
shared their opinions on government, political history,
and the role of women in society. Catherine Macauley served as a role model
for Mercy Warren. Warren admired Macauley's
talents as a writer and historian, and attempted to emulate them. Macauley
also reciprocated this respect and admiration to Mercy
throughout their friendship and continued to encourage her in her writing
endeavors.
Sarah Gray Cary
Mercy Warren began her friendship with Sarah Cary in the 1790's- when Mercy
was in her sixties. This correspondence reflects a
different side of Mercy Warren's personality. The reader can see a more
open and affectionate tone to her letters to Sarah Cary.
These women shared this intimate friendship until Mercy's death in 1814.
Sarah Cary showed great admiration for Mercy Warren,
as well as concern and caring for the aging woman. They discussed many
aspects of their lives- from political philosophy and
female education, to family concerns and meditations on death.
Political Viewpoints
Mercy Otis Warren viewed the activities of the growing republic from an
advantageous position. She was an educated, intellectual
woman who was raised within the political circles of Massachusetts. She
continued her connection with this realm through the
activities of her husband, her brother, and her extensive correspondence
with pivotal political figures. Mercy Warren's had a
strong relationship with her brother, James Otis. James was one of the
leaders of the revolution and united men
throughout the region with a zeal and idealism that had come to characterize
the very principles of the
revolution. He shared his opinions, as well as his motivations and influences,
with his sister. Through his
guidance, Mercy Warren became involved in the political topics of this
era. She gained a greater insight and
understanding of these issues and she, too, became a revolutionist.
The correspondence that Mercy Warren shared with many prominent members
of society is a reflection of her
continual involvement in politics and the changing government of the time.
She was in constant contact with John
Adams, who in his early political years was her confidant and supporter.
Warren also corresponded with other influential men
such as Sam Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Elbridge Gerry,
and Alexander Hamilton. The views that she related
to these men, as well as their responses, are one of the primary resources
for historians to trace the progress
of the intellectual revolution that occurred at this time.
The early plays of Mercy Warren reflect her patriotism and her Whig affiliation.
Each dealt with the activities of
the Tory administration in Massachusetts. Her plays, which were written
anonymously, were satirical and
attacked the actions and weaknesses of the Tories, while commending the
liberty-seeking goals of the patriots.
Due to the anonymity of these plays, historians have questioned which were
actually written by Mercy Warren.
However, most scholars agree to attribute The Adulateur, The Defeat, The
Group, and The Blockade of Boston to her, while
some questions remain about The Blockheads. Her first play, The Adulateur
(1772), was criticized Thomas Hutchinson's
activities in Boston that were threats to personal rights. Thomas Hutchinson
was the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. Many
of his family members were in high offices in the government of the state.
In 1772, Mercy's play mocked not only Hutchinson's
actions in Boston, but also managed to satirically present Sam Adams and
James Otis, the villains in the play, as the patriots who
opposed him. Later, she also wrote The Defeat (1773) as a continued attempt
to mock Hutchinson and his followers.
In 1775, Mercy Warren wrote her most popular play, The Group. The "group"
referred to the Tory leaders of Boston. She no
longer attacked Hutchinson, but his brother and other family members are
the main characters in the play. Warren showed her
greatest contempt for these American-born Tories who maintain their loyalty
to the British and are detrimental to their own
country. After the war was underway, Mercy's political attention focused
primarily on correspondence with her husband James
Warren, John Adams, and Sam Adams, as well as with their wives. Mercy found
cause to write again in 1776
when General Burgoyne wrote his satire, The Blockade of Boston. Burgoyne's
play mocked the colonial
soldiers and glorified the British. To the patriots, this was intolerable.
It was even more offensive when it was
performed in Boston- a Puritan area that still maintained a ban on plays.
Mercy swiftly replied with The
Blockheads; or the Affrighted Officers: A Farce. This was a scathing work
aimed at attacking the British
officers personally as well as pointing out the weaknesses of the British
army. This play used very candid and
vulgar language, and consequently is not often attributed to a woman such
as Mercy Warren. The play was a
great success and managed to offer great solace and amusement to the disgruntled
American troops.
Mercy Warren also demonstrated her loyalty to the republic when she wrote
The History of the Rise, Progress, and
Termination of the American Revolution, completed in 1791. This book has
been described as a "progressive narrative" of the
events of the revolutionary era. In it, Warren includes the events of the
revolution, as well as character studies on the most
influential figures of the time. Warren was the only Antifederalist of
the historians, and her work reflects her affiliation. She utilizes
the ideals of the Whig party as a means to justify and develop the progression
of the revolution. Her book manages to include the
chronology of the events, as well as the philosophical, religious, and
social aspects of the time.
Society in America
Mercy Otis Warren also had considerable insight on the workings of society.
In her History of the American Revolution, she
states her belief that Americans in various levels of society are more
aware of political issues than their counterparts in other
countries. Overall, the citizens of the republic had more concern and involvement
in their political system than people in other
countries did. However, Warren voiced some concern about human character.
She felt that Americans had limited knowledge of
humankind as a whole and that they were "'not generally sensible'" about
the complications of government and leadership. Over
time, Warren also detected a general shift in priorities of the American
people. She felt that public virtue was being overshadowed
by personal ambition. This attitude is also revealed in her play, The Motley
Assembly: A Farce (1779). In this work, Warren
does not solely address the usual topic of patriots and Tories. Here she
changes her focus and satirizes the extravagance of
Boston society after the war. The main characters are women who are members
of "high society" and are preoccupied with
fashion and luxury. In this way, Mercy is not only mocking political issues,
but targets the conflict between aristocracy and
democracy.
The Role of Women
In an era when newspaper articles would condemn intellectual accomplishment
in a female, Mercy Otis Warren was an
outstanding example for women. Her contributions to the position of women
may mistakenly appear to be minimal- she published
her works anonymously, and made no large attempts to campaign for the rights
of women- but she certainly had the intellect and
confidence to alter people's viewpoints about women. By her correspondence
with prominent male figures in government and
politics, she managed to demonstrate that a woman's views were valuable.
"You see madam I disregard the opinion that women make but different politicians.
It may be true in general, but the present age has given
one example at least to the Contrary and pray how many perfecter theorists
has the world exhibited among the masculine art of the human
species either in ancient or modern times? When the observations are just
and honorary to the hear and character, I think it very immaterial
whether they flow from a female lip in the soft whispers of private friend-ship
or whether thundered in the Senate in the bolden language of the
other sex." (Mercy Warren to Catherine Macauley- Richards, pg. 43)
Mercy Warren recognized that there was public disdain for women who were
involved in politics. As a result, she attempted to
justify women's discussion and interest in politics by relating it to the
principles of free speech. She felt that women were just as
capable of responding to the events of the time as men were. In fact, she
stated that it was important for a woman to be aware of
politics in order to serve her family and her household better. Warren
stressed the importance of female education and awareness.
However, she also believed that a woman's primary attention should be to
her domestic responsibilities.
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