William Otter's autobiography, first published in 1835, provides
a rare and fascinating counterpoint to romantic notions of
virtuous, respectable craftsmen in the early republic. His Life and
Adventures offers an inside account of the brawling racism common
in the early nineteenth century and sharply details the rowdy male
subculture of the times.
Born in England and conscripted into the British Navy during the
Napoleonic wars, Big Bill Otter jumped ship and came to New York
City in 1801. He apprenticed as a plasterer and joined an urban
gang; later he was a master plasterer, tavernkeeper, slavecatcher,
"Jackson man," bigot, town bully, notorious practical joker,
borderline psychopath, mayoral candidate, and all-round "jolly
fellow." History of My Own Times is one of the few first-person
accounts of a rural artisan in pre-genteel America. The book
depicts the ambiguities of race relations in the early nineteenth
century, sheds light on its definition of manhood, and conveys a
sense of humor very different from today's.
Richard B. Stott's introduction and commentary place Otter in
the context of his times and explore the significance of his
autobiography in understanding the social and cultural history of
the early American republic.
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