Penman of the Founding

John Dickinson, one of the architects of the Constitution--and the main author of its predecessor, the Articles of Confederation--refused to sign the Declaration of Independence. His notion of rebellion was of civil disobedience rather than violent overthrow. Dickinson has been portrayed as a cooler head in a moment of hotheads; a Quaker in all but name. During his lifetime, Dickinson freed his slaves, even paid reparations, and advocated extending greater rights for women and Native Americans. He also served in the Continental Army, despite his Quaker principles, and fought with distinction. Written by the foremost expert on Dickinson, Jane E. Calvert's book shines a new light on this lesser-known but crucially important founding figure.

Jane E. Calvert received her PhD in history from the University of Chicago. She has taught at St. Mary's College of Maryland, the University of Kentucky, and Yale University and is currently director and chief editor of the John Dickinson Writings Project. Her work, which has been supported by leading research institutions as well as federal agencies, focuses on the intersection of theology and political theory in the Colonial and Founding Eras. Her first book, Quaker Constitutionalism and the Political Thought of John Dickinson (2009), describes the origins of civil disobedience in Quakerism and provides the first explanation of Dickinson's thought and action during the Revolution.