John Dickinson: podcast appearances and interviews

John Dickinson was an American Founding Father, attorney, and politician from Philadelphia and Wilmington. He was known as the Penman of the Revolution for his writings, including the 12 Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania and The Liberty Song. As a member of the First Continental Congress, he signed the Continental Association and played a key role in drafting the 1774 Petition to the King and the Olive Branch Petition of 1775. Dickinson also reworked Thomas Jefferson's language to produce the final draft of the 1775 Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. During the revolution, he served on the committee that drafted the Model Treaty and opposed independence from Great Britain, abstaining or being absent from the vote on the Declaration of Independence and refusing to sign it. Nevertheless, he authored the first draft of the Articles of Confederation and served as a militia officer. He was elected president of the 1786 Annapolis Convention and signed the United States Constitution as a delegate from Delaware. Dickinson was also a prominent public figure, serving as president of Delaware and Pennsylvania. Upon his death in 1808, he was praised by Thomas Jefferson as one of the first advocates for the rights of the United States when challenged by Great Britain. His legacy includes Dickinson College, Penn State Dickinson Law, and other institutions named in his honor.