James_Otis

James Otis Gordon Wood in his research on the American Revolution describes it as radical as any revolution in modern history based on the fact that it produced a society that was free and democratic beyond the expectations of the nation’s founding fathers. One of the most passionate spokesmen for that movement to create a nation free from empirical rule was James Otis. Otis helped in the fight to change the governmental system and bring a fundamental change for a structured society. John Adams described Otis’ passionate arguments against the Writs of Assistance as watching kindling burst into flames (Langguth, 26). To understand James Otis and his passion for the ideals that embodied the American Revolution it is important to understand the man and the reasons that many believe fostered his radical opposition to British rule. Otis even when growing up was prone to unpredictable moods and bursts of energy. He graduated from Harvard after seven years, although he had been accepted at the early age of fourteen. Otis was slow to begin his legal career due in part to his indifference about money, although he would eventually garner large legal fees in Boston. It was otis, james, revolution, american, adams, writs, one, tyne, langguth, john, british, van, rule, opposition, new, legal, gordon, free, case, been, assistance, york, take, said, right, radicalism, position, political, own, otis’, might, liberty, england, change, cause