Dickinson, John (1732-1808), represented Delaware at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and played an important role in drafting the Constitution of the United States. Illness forced Dickinson to leave the convention early, but he authorized another delegate to sign the Constitution for him. At the convention, Dickinson supported a strong national government. However, he also defended the rights and powers of the states against those of the federal government. He was among several delegates who first raised the idea of a dual legislature that would give states both equal and population-based representation.
Dickinson was born on Nov. 8, 1732, in Talbot County, Maryland. He studied law in Philadelphia and London. In 1767 and 1768, Dickinson wrote a series of newspaper articles that expressed the American Colonies’ resistance to British taxation. The series was published later in a pamphlet titled Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies. Dickinson’s writings earned him the nickname “Penman of the Revolution.”
Dickinson opposed the Declaration of Independence and was among the members of the Second Continental Congress who refused to sign it. However, he proved his patriotism by joining the American army in the American Revolution (1775-1783) and by helping write the Articles of Confederation. Dickinson was prominent in both Delaware and Pennsylvania. He was president (governor) of Delaware in 1781 and 1782 and of Pennsylvania from 1782 to 1785. He died on Feb. 14, 1808.
See also Olive Branch Petition .
