Assessment.

James Otis Jr., a Massachusetts lawyer, legislator, and writer, took an active role in opposing the king and the provincial governor on a continuing basis from 1760 until the beginning of the Revolution. A powerful orator and a prolific writer, he was a prominent spokesman for the revolutionary cause. (His sister, Mercy Otis Warren, wrote several famous propaganda plays in the 1770s.) Whether his motive at any one instant was patriotic, a mere personal vendetta, or a manifestation of mental illness is still the matter of debate. Early Years. Otis was born on 5 February 1725 in Barnstable, Massachusetts, the first of thirteen children of James and Mary Otis. Otis's father, James, a politically active businessman, became a lawyer and county court judge in Barnstable. He gained the rank of colonel in the militia and wore the title proudly until his death...