Lunch Meeting June 10: The Birth of American Democracy: How Brave Boston Leaders Changed the World

Please join us at the InterContinental Hotel in Saint Paul on June 10th as we hear from Todd Otis.

 

The ideas and  actions of Boston leaders in the period 1760-1775 transformed the very basis of legitimate governance.  As a result of the concepts that emerged in this period the idea of rights no longer came from the King but from God. Democracy driven by the will of the people was born. 

This historical novel celebrates famous Americans like Samuel Adams and John Hancock and less well-known ones. For example, James Otis, a brilliant lawyer, argued against the use of warrants called the Writs of Assistance what were used arbitrarily by customs officials. One witness to the trial in that cold February courtroom was young John Adams, who later said “Then and there the Child Independence was born.” The book brings vivid detail to the personalities of those who were driven by high ideals and angered by brutal British actions. Three key people in the book were Crispus Attucks, the “First Martyr” of the Revolution killed at the “Massacre”, Mercy Otis Warren, a brilliant playwright, and Ebenezer Mackintosh, a humble shoe-maker who could generate large crowds of protesters.
The book ends with  Lessons Learned which are as relevant to today as they were nearly 250 years ago. These brave men and women have given us a gift, Democracy, that we must now fight to protect.

 

Todd Otis was born in 1945 and lives in Minneapolis with his partner, Ren. He is the father of Philip, Katharine, and Madeline, and stepfather of Josh and Heather. He is the proud grandfather of eight amazing grandchildren. He was educated at the St. Paul Academy and earned an AB from Harvard College and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University. He is an indirect descendant of James Otis the Patriot. Todd’s public service includes being a volunteer in the Peace Corps, Senegal, as well as serving as a Minnesota State Representative from 1979 to 1990, after which he consulted and advocated for support of environmental and educational reforms. The last twenty years of his working life were dedicated to improving the early care and education of Minnesota’s youngest citizens. Today, Todd serves on several boards. He is also the author of A Review of Nuclear Energy in the United States: Hidden Power (Praeger, 1981). He enjoys being with his family and friends, reading, writing, playing tennis, watching Minnesota sports teams, and traveling with Ren.

 

Meeting ID: 825 184 8268

Passcode: 643825

Or, join by Phone:  (312) 626-6799 or (346) 248-7799