John Dickinson, the great colonial essayist, was born on Nov. 8, 1732 at
"Croise-dore," near Trappe, Md. At the age of eight, the Dickinson
family moved to Dover, Del., where the father, Samuel, served for 20 years as
the president-judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Kent County.
After being tutored by William Killen, later Chancellor of Delaware, John
Dickinson in 1750 went to Philadelphia to study law for three years. In 1753, he
overcame his father's opposition to continue his studies in England and sailed
for London where he entered the Middle Temple. Also studying at the Middle
Temple then was the later famous poet William Cowper.
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WHEN HE returned to America in 1755 Dickinson built up a large and lucrative
law practice: his first appearance before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court at the
youthful age of 28. In 1760 he took a seat in the Delaware Assembly,
representing Kent County where he owned property. The next year he took a seat
in the Pennsylvania Assembly and served there on and off until 1777.
In the meantime he was also very active opposing the current British policies
concerning her North American colonies. In 1767 his finest political work, the
famous "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania," appeared in print.
Charles Francis Adams has said, "The Farmers Letters were more practical,
minute and skilful in style and strain, than the writings of either Otis, Adams,
or Quincy. They had a much wider circulation, both in the colonies and in
Europe." Considering Dickinson's earlier conservatism, his participation
in the camp of opposition at this time was somewhat surprising.
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JUST TWO YEARS before, in 1765, John Dickinson thought that American
independence from Great Britain would bring "a multitude of Commonwealths,
Crimes, and Calamities, Centuries of mutual Jealousies, Hatreds, Wars of
Devastation." Nevertheless his "Farmers Letters," which appeared
in three newspapers in 1767-68, contributed to the growing belief that the
Colonies were being wronged by the mother country. Within two years, at least 10
editions of these letters had appeared in pamphlet form. In these writings, the
right of Parliament to levy internal and external taxes was discussed, and
Dickinson pointed out a difference between the two which challenged the powers
claimed by Parliament.
John Dickinson continued his fight for liberty and colonial rights during the
1770's, protesting the Tea Act and later going to Boston to attend a meeting
opposing the closing the Boston port. Although he continued to hold a seat in
the Pennsylvania Assembly and also was a member of the Council of Safety, he
declined the speakership of the Assembly for he preferred to serve in the new
Continental Congress.
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ALTHOUGH actuated by the highest and most patriotic motives Dickinson in 1776
opposed independence on the grounds that it was premature. In a way the
disastrous American defeats at Long Island and White Plains supported his
position. However, he did not vote against the Declaration of Independence but
along with Robert Morris was purposely absent on that day, so Pennsylvania could
vote in the affirmative. Although he was temporarily unpopular the calmer
judgment of posterity has more than justified him.
John Dickinson was not satisfied with only serving his country in the
debating halls of Congress; he served as a soldier at the Battle of Brandywine
in September, 1777. Also in that year he was given a military appointment for
service in the Delaware militia. In fact he was the only member of the Congress
that adopted the "Declaration of Independence" that ever saw service
on the field of battle during our War for Independence.
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