John Dickinson

John Dickinson, famously dubbed the "Penman of the Revolution," was a towering intellectual force whose eloquent writings helped shape the colonists' arguments against British oppression. His "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania," widely circulated throughout the colonies and even abroad, articulated the constitutional objections to taxation without representation with such clarity that they became a cornerstone of the burgeoning independence movement. While he initially favored reconciliation with Britain and famously abstained from signing the Declaration of Independence, fearing the colonies were not yet ready for a full-scale war, his commitment to American liberty never wavered. He drafted the first version of the Articles of Confederation, the new nation's initial governing document, and later played a crucial role in the Constitutional Convention, tirelessly advocating for principles that would ensure a balanced and stable government for the fledgling United States. His cautious yet profoundly influential approach underscores the complex and diverse paths individuals took in forging American independence.