James Otis: Before And During The American Revolution

James Otis was a noteworthy figure prior to and during the American Revolution. He was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to a father who was well-known political figure. Otis graduated from Harvard and became a celebrated lawyer. He married Ruth Cunningham and they had three children, but their marriage was tumultuous because of their dissimilar political views. During the 1750’s, he was very loyal to the British Crown and was chosen as advocate general in the Vice Admiralty Court, a juryless court that settled disputes and had legal authority over issues in the colonies. His main job as Advocate General was to prosecute illegal smugglers who violated the navigation acts. Otis soon became less loyal to the crown when he was overlooked for a position as new Chief Justice of the Superior Court. Soon after this, he joined the revolutionary cause and believed that parliament was infringing on the colonists basic human liberties. Otis spoke out against custom officials. In 1769, Otis was beaten in the head with a club and was mentally unstable for the rest of his life. He would wander the streets of Boston, and in his lucid moments, would practice law. In 1783, he was struck by …show more content…
The phrase, “taxation without representation is tyranny,” is attributed to him. During his time serving as Advocate General, Writs of Assistance was enforced. Writs could enter the home of any colonists and search their home for illicit items. Otis thought this was unconstitutional and was a direct infringement of colonists’ basic liberties. He resigned from his position and became a prosecutor for the merchants, repudiating the Writs of Assistance in court. He lost the case, but Otis rose in stardom and was elected to a seat in the General Assembly. After this he headed the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence, a group that would discuss relevant issues and send their written opinion to other