- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
James Otis
OTIS, James, patriot and orator of the Revolution, born in West Barnstable, Mass., 5 February, 1725; died in Andover, Mass., 23 May, 1783.
He graduated from Harvard in 1743 and became a prominent lawyer in Boston. Otis gained fame for his 1761 argument against the writs of assistance, declaring “Taxation without representation is tyranny.” His fiery speeches helped ignite colonial resistance.
Otis served in the Massachusetts legislature and wrote influential political essays. Though his mental health declined in later years, his early contributions to American liberty were profound.
He died suddenly, reportedly struck by lightning, and was remembered as one of the intellectual founders of the Revolution.
Source:
Wilson, James Grant, and John Fiske, eds. Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1887. Patriot Echoes Archive
Founders:
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