John Clark Ridpath (April 26, 1840–July 31, 1900) was an American educator, historian, and editor. His mother was a descendant of Samuel Matthews, a colonial governor of Virginia. In 1869 he was elected professor of English literature in Asbury College, and two years later he was assigned to the chair of belles-lettres and history of the same institution. In 1879 he was elected vice-president of the university, and he was largely the originator of the measures by which that institution was placed under the patronage of Washington C. DePauw, and took his name. In 1880 he received the degree of LL. D. from Syracuse University.
In 1885 Ridpath left his position at the University to devote himself more to writing. In the later 1890s, he was editor of a magazine called The Arena. He wrote biographies of James G. Blaine, James A. Garfield, William Ewart Gladstone, and James Otis. His popular volumes of history were successful, and reissued many times.
James Otis, Jr. (February 5, 1725 – May 23, 1783) was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts, a member of the Massachusetts provincial assembly, and an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Revolution. The phrase "Taxation without Representation is Tyranny" is usually attributed to him, though it had been in use earlier. Otis is best known for his orations against the Writs of Assistance, which allowed British authorities to search homes without cause. Considered one of the best orators in Boston, Otis suffered from some sort of mental health issue that made him increasingly erratic in his later years. Nevertheless, the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is part of his legacy.
This edition of Ridpath’s James Otis the Pre-Revolutionist is illustrated and specially formatted with a Table of Contents.
advertisement