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Lesson

James Otis (1725-1783)

Duration
60 min
Published
Nov 5, 2020
Portrait of a man with light hair, wearing a dark coat and white cravat, set against a dark background.
What were James Otis' views on slavery? How did he think about inalienable or natural rights and how did he contribute to the Revolutionary period?

Founding Principles

Civil Discourse, Liberty

Learning objectives

Students will:

  • explain the concept of inalienable rights.
  • explain colonists’ objections to writs of assistance.
  • understand James Otis’s opinion of slavery.
  • analyze statements of natural rights.
  • appreciate James Otis’s contributions to the revolutionary period.

Materials

Student Handouts

Additional Teacher Resource

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: James Otis (1725–1783)
ActivityHandout B: Vocabulary and Context Questions – James Otis (1725-1783)
ActivityHandout C: In His Own Words: James Otis on Natural Rights
ActivityHandout D: Analysis: James Otis and John Locke’s Theory of Natural Rights
ActivityThematic Essay – James Otis (1725-1783)

Lesson plan

60 minClick a phase to open it

Standards

Advanced Placement

  • CCE

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Related materials

Engraving of a man with short hair and a collar, looking directly at the viewer.
FounderJames Otis

Otis was also one of the first well-known Americans to defend the natural rights of Africans and to condemn slavery. In doing so, he demonstrated his intellectual honesty and integrity,