The National Museum of Mental Health Project and Revolutionary Spaces Launch Virtual Exhibit on James Otis, Jr. and Mental Health in the Eighteenth Century
Boston, MA — [September 2, 2025] — Revolutionary Spaces, in collaboration with The National Museum of Mental Health Project (NMMHP), are excited to announce the launch of Patriot, Hero, Distracted Person: James Otis, Jr. and Mental Health in the Eighteenth Century, a new online exhibition that reframes the legacy of one of America’s most overlooked founding figures. The exhibit is part of the co-developed America’s Mental Health & Wellness Corridor story and represents the first chapter that is being dropped, with more coming before July 4th, 2026.
James Otis, Jr. helped spark the American Revolution with his landmark 1761 case against the Writs of Assistance, but his contributions were cut short following a traumatic brain injury in 1769. Once a leading patriot voice, Otis’ altered personality and behavior led to his retreat from public life during the nation’s defining years.
The new virtual exhibit reconsiders Otis’ story, shifting from tragedy to recognition of his sacrifice, and explores how his experiences intersect with broader conversations about mental health, past and present. Through historical storytelling and creative interpretation, the exhibition invites audiences to see Otis’ contributions to the nation, and to consider how he fits his own definition of a patriot and hero: someone willing “to sacrifice estate, ease, health, applause, and even life to the sacred calls of his country,” and examines how we remember, or forget, figures whose lives were shaped by mental illness.
“Otis’ life and ideas, both inspiring and troubling, splinter out in ways that defy the political and social divides we see in America today,” said Paul M. Piwko, Co-Founder & Co-Developer of the National Museum of Mental Health Project. “His story underscores how freedom, privacy, and a connection to the outdoors are essential to the health and soul of America—and how the fight for a cause can both define and consume a person.”
“James Otis’ life challenges us to think differently about the costs of revolution,” said Lucy Pollock, Exhibits Manager at Revolutionary Spaces. “By putting his story in conversation with the history of mental health, we’re honoring both his brilliance and his struggles—and making space for a more inclusive understanding of America’s founding.”
Patriot, Hero, Distracted Person launches online in September 2025 at www.nmmhproject.org/jamesotisjr.
To mark the debut, Revolutionary Spaces will host a free public reception, thanks to the generous support of the Lowell Institute, on Friday, September 5, 2025, at the Old State House in Boston. Space is limited; advance registration is required. For more details and to reserve a spot, visit Revolutionary Spaces.
This collaborative project brings together Revolutionary Spaces, exhibit developer Kate LaPine, and the National Museum of Mental Health Project, a nonprofit “museum without walls” dedicated to transforming society’s attitudes about and understanding of mental health through digital exhibitions and public programs.
About the National Museum of Mental Health Project, Inc.
The National Museum of Mental Health Project, Inc. is a nonprofit organization and museum without walls that researches and creates exhibitions that can transform society’s attitudes about, and understanding of, mental health. Through the development of online exhibits, NMMHP does what museums do best—educate, interpret, advance dialogue, and develop literacy on the topic of mental health.
About Revolutionary Spaces
Revolutionary Spaces stewards the historic Old South Meeting House and Old State House as landmarks, museums, and active civic spaces. Its mission is to bring people together to explore the American struggle to create and sustain a free society—using history as a powerful tool for civic engagement and public dialogue. For more information, go to RevolutionarySpaces.org or follow on social media at @RevSpaces.
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