Date of Award

Summer 2000

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Committee Director

Jane T. Merritt

Committee Member

Carolyn J. Lawes

Committee Member

Jeffrey Richards

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.H47 G47

Abstract

This thesis will examine the life and writings of Mercy Otis Warren. The first section of the essay will examine the current historiography concerning Warren. Historically, her place has been somewhat ambiguous, particularly in view of what constituted feminism for early American women. By focusing on "republican motherhood," modern historical interpretations have overlooked Warren's contribution to feminist ideology. In effect, these interpretations have confined Warren to this one identity, diluting and disregarding the impact of a published female writer, not just of poetry and plays, but of a bona fide history of the Revolutionary War and the early Republic.

In the second section, I will examine the Revolution and its impact on colonial society, particularly the roles of women and the use of public and private discourses. The patriotic and idealistic rhetoric, which developed during the tumult of the revolutionary period and gave birth to the idea of participatory government based on ancient Rome and Lockean philosophy, excited the imaginations of many, including women. Warren seized this opportunity to participate by writing and publishing satirical plays and poems. Extending her written influence, she joined the federalist debates with her essay on the proposed Constitution, confident that her opinion was worthy of consideration. That the ultimate document of democracy denied political and legal recognition to almost half of the United States population did not deter Warren and others from continuing to "foment a rebellion" on behalf of their sex. Publicly and privately, Warren voiced the need for education for women and equality between the sexes.

The final section will be a comparative look at Warren' correspondents, particularly with regard to feminist ideals. A discussion of eighteenth century femininity as compared to twentieth century feminism will highlight the fallacy that separate spheres denoted a lack of power for women. In actuality, Mercy Otis Warren empowered herself and set an example by her publications and private exhortations to family, friends and acquaintances that would inspire the later women's movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

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DOI

10.25777/xh0p-1f44

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