The woman whose image graces the jacket of this book is Barnstable County native Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814). Frequently called the First Lady of the American Revolution, she was the only woman of her day to publicly champion the Bill of Rights. When four former first ladies convened a symposium on the Constitution in Atlanta in 1988, they called Mercy our country’s “invisible founder.” She is visible now; her bronze image was dedicated on July 4, 2001. She stands before the massive pillars of the Barnstable County Superior Courthouse.