In this Independence Day episode of This Constitution, Matthew Brogdon is joined by Dr. Jane Calvert, Director of the John Dickinson Writings Project and author of Penman of the Revolution. Together, they explore the legacy of John Dickinson, one of America’s most influential yet often overlooked founders.

Best known for Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, Dickinson was a leading advocate for colonial rights but notably opposed the rush toward independence. Jane explains how Dickinson’s belief in natural rights, his cautious approach to revolution, and his commitment to unity positioned him as both a voice of reason and a strategic architect of America’s founding.

Matthew and Jane dive into Dickinson's critical contributions to the Articles of Confederation, his overlooked role in shaping early American foreign policy, and how he continued to influence the nation, leading troops, freeing enslaved people, and playing a vital part in the Constitutional Convention.

If you think the American Revolution was driven only by firebrands and radicals, this episode will challenge that view and reveal how one of the most cautious founders helped lay the foundation for American independence and unity.

In This Episode

• (00:00:37) Introduction 
• (00:00:27) Dickinson’s Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania
• (00:01:22) Sources of rights: British law vs. natural rights
• (00:03:45) Dickinson’s ambivalence toward independence
• (00:06:20) Colonial status and constitutional debates
• (00:07:21) Dickinson’s views on Parliament, trade, and executive power
• (00:11:08) The onset of war and Dickinson’s role in Congress
• (00:12:23) The Olive Branch Petition and the Declaration of Taking Up Arms
• (00:17:10) Dickinson’s strategic use of time and preparation for war
• (00:19:29) Dickinson’s leadership in the Pennsylvania militia and committees
• (00:20:36) Congressional debates: diplomacy, union, and independence
• (00:21:58) Dickinson’s position on independence and committee work
• (00:24:01) Drafting the Articles of Confederation and the Model Treaty
• (00:29:10) Dickinson’s post-Declaration statesmanship
• (00:31:51) Dickinson’s role in the Federal Convention and later life
• (00:35:36) Conclusion and legacy

Notable Quotes

• (02:32) "Dickinson was one of the earliest people who said, actually, that is not right. Our rights are not bestowed upon us by any kind of paper or parchment. They come to us from God" — Jane Calvert
• (05:51) "Understand that  from the vantage point of the 1760s and early 1770s, the safest course for securing rights was within the confines of the British Constitution." — Jane Calvert
• (06:28) “The British considered themselves to have a constitution. They had certain institutional relationships, just like we argue over the relationship between the President and Congress and the relationship between the federal government and the states.”— Matthew Brogdon
• (16:14) "Dickinson’s goal with the Declaration was to produce such apprehensions in the British that they would think twice about coming over here." — Jane Calvert
• (24:08) "If Dickinson had supported independence, he would have written the Declaration." — Jane Calvert
• (26:37) "The model treaty Dickinson helped draft became the blueprint for American foreign policy until World War II." — Jane Calvert
•  (26:45) "So it is a shame in a way that when we think about the Continental Congress, we often think about the Declaration of Independence and the conduct of the war. But forget some of these other crucial things that are happening and don't really happen,." — Matthew Brogdon