John Dickinson, born November 13, 1732, was a Founding Father of the United States, known for his influential writings and political contributions during the American Revolution. He was an attorney and politician
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware, and earned the nickname "Penman of the Revolution" for his twelve Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania.
Origins & Early Formation
Dickinson was born at Crosiadore Plantation, his family's tobacco plantation near Trappe, Maryland. He was the great-grandson of Walter Dickinson, who came from England as an indentured servant to the Colony of Virginia in 1654. Dickinson's father, Samuel, inherited 2,500 acres on five farms in three Maryland counties, which he expanded to 9,000 acres over his lifetime.
First Steps into Public Life
Dickinson began his public life as a delegate from the Province of Pennsylvania to the First Continental Congress in 1774. He drafted most of the 1774 Petition to the King and wrote the Olive Branch Petition in 1775, both attempts to negotiate with King George III of Great Britain. Despite opposing independence, Dickinson wrote the first draft of the Articles of Confederation and served as a militia officer during the Revolution.
Ideas, Aims & Methods
Dickinson's writings, including Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, argued against British policies and warned of further taxes on the colonies. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1768 and continued to contribute declarations in the name of Congress. Dickinson's objective was reconciliation, not independence, and he abstained from voting on the Declaration of Independence.
Final Years, Death & Legacy
Dickinson served as president of Delaware and Pennsylvania, and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where he signed the United States Constitution. He freed his slaves in 1777, making him one of the few Founding Fathers to do so before 1786. Dickinson died on February 14, 1808, and was remembered by President Thomas Jefferson as "one of the great worthies of the revolution." His legacy includes Dickinson College and Penn State Dickinson Law, named in his honor.
