
John Dickinson


Remembering John Dickinson: “One of the great worthies of the revolution”
“We cannot be happy without being FREE.” Those words from John Dickinson, known as the “Penman of the Revolution,” reflect his belief that LIBERTY is the foundation of everything else. Once almost as famous as Benjamin Franklin, Dickinson is almost...
The Forgotten Declaration that Explained the War for Independence
We are “resolved to die freemen rather than live slaves.” These powerful words, penned by Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson, hold a prominent place in the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, approved unanimously by the Second Continental...
Pursuit of Happiness: “We Cannot be Happy without Being Free”
The “pursuit of happiness” is a foundational principle enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. In the Founders’ view, this was inextricably linked to individual liberty and property rights. John Dickinson explained it this way in the last of his 12 Letters from...
The Founders and the Constitution: John Dickinson
Like James Madison, the subject of the last essay in this series, John Dickinson was one of those Founders about whom it could be said, “Without him, we probably would not have a Constitution.” However, Madison’s contribution is justly renown, while Dickinson’s has...