Otis, James (1725-1783), was an American patriot and agitator against Great Britain (now the United Kingdom). In 1756, he became the British king’s advocate general (representative) on the vice-admiralty court at Boston. This court dealt with cases involving the sea and shipping. In 1760, Otis resigned his post in protest over the issuing of new writs of assistance, general search warrants that did not name the place to be searched. British authorities wanted to use the writs to catch colonists who smuggled goods into the colonies to avoid paying British trade taxes. Otis argued that the writs violated the British constitution and the laws of nature.
In 1761, Otis became one of Boston’s four representatives in the Massachusetts legislature. There he proposed a meeting of representatives of all the colonies. His suggestion eventually led to the Stamp Act Congress of 1765, in which delegates from nine colonies gathered to consider joint action against the British.
In 1769, Otis was attacked by British revenue officers who resented his criticism of them. A head wound he received during the attack eventually caused him to lose his mind. He was killed by lightning on May 23, 1783.
Otis was born in West Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Feb. 5, 1725. His sister, Mercy Otis Warren, was a writer who also became active in the American independence movement.
