Liberty Without Tumult: Understanding the Politics of John Dickinson
John Dickinson is among America’s “Forgotten Founders.” Despite authoring the most widely-read documents on American liberty before 1776, representing Pennsylvania at the Second Continental Congress, and being a primary author of the Articles of Confederation, many...
Why the Framers Thought Ratification by Only Nine States Was Sufficient
In an earlier essay in my “Defending the Constitution” series, I responded to the common charge that the 1787 Constitutional Convention abused its trust. The charge is that the commissioners (delegates) exceeded the scope of the convention “call” issued by Congress....
John Dickinson Put His Money Where His Mouth Was
It’s one thing to talk about fighting for liberty. It’s another thing to put your money where your mouth is. John Dickinson did just that. Despite his refusal to sign the Declaration of Independence, he was one of the few members of the First or Second...