Complete Writings and Selected Correspondence of John Dickinson

Jane E. Calvert is a historian of early American intellectual history and the foremost expert on John Dickinson. She founded the John Dickinson Writings Project (JDP) in 2010 after publication of Quaker Constitutionalism and the Political Thought of John Dickinson (2009). Most recently, she published Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson (2024), made possible by the work of the JDP.John Dickinson (November 8, 1732–February 14, 1808) is known as the “Penman of the Revolution.” He served as a delegate for Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress (1774–1776) and later as a delegate from Delaware in the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION EDITORIAL METHODOLOGY ABBREVIATIONS AND SHORT TITLES 1767 1. From Catherine Hutchinson Moland, January 10 2. To Benjamin Chew, February 15 3. From Thomas Adam, February 27 4. Set One of Notes for Dominus Rex v. Rachel Francisco, [March] 5. Set Two of Notes for Dominus Rex v. Rachel Francisco, [March] 6. To [Thomas Penn], March 7. To John Williams, May 8–12 8. From Edward Lloyd III, June 1 9. To William Allason, June 21 10. From William Killen, July 16 11. To William Killen, July 20 12. To John Williams, July 24 13. From Philemon Dickinson, August 31 14. From William Buchanan, September 15 15. To John St. Clair, [September] 16. From Israel Pemberton, October 5 17. From Sarah and Hannah Empson, November 25 18. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter I,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 3 19. To James Otis, Jr., December 5 20. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter II,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 10 21. Ironicus Bombasticus, “From My Imperial Palace,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, December 14 22. A Citizen [William Hicks?], “To the Farmer,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 17 23. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter III,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 17 24. Ironicus Bombasticus, “From the Harbour of Conviction—No Longer My Imperial Palace,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, December 21 25. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter IV,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 24 26. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter V,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 31 1768 27. A Son of Liberty, “To the Worthy Friend of America, the Farmer,” The Pennsylvania Journal, January 7 28. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter VI,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, January 7 29. From William Killen, January 8 30. To Joseph Pemberton, January 10 31. From Allen Gillespie, January 13 32. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter VII,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, January 14 33. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter VIII,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, January 21 34. To James Otis, Jr., January 25 35. A Citizen [William Hicks], Excerpt of “The Nature and Extent of Parliamentary Power Considered . . . ,” The Pennsylvania Journal, January 28 36. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter IX,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, January 28 37. From John Williams, February 1 38. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter X,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 4 39. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter XI,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 11 40. A Farmer [JD], “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Letter XII,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 18 41. A Freeborn American [Charles Thomson], Essay in Agreement with the Farmer, The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 18 42. From John Bell, February 20 43. A Citizen [William Hicks], Excerpt of “The Nature and Extent of Parliamentary Power Considered . . . ,” The Pennsylvania Journal, February 25 44. To [William Hicks], [c. February] 45. From William Hicks, [c. February] 46. To William Hicks, [c. February] 47. From Thomas Adam, March 4 48. A Citizen [William Hicks], Essay on Parliamentary Authority, The Pennsylvania Journal, March 10 49. From Edward Lloyd , March 11 50. A.B. [Samuel Adams?], Letter to Messieurs Edes and Gill, The Boston-Gazette, March 14 51. The Farmer Toasted in Boston on the Anniversary of the Repeal of the Stamp Act, The Massachusetts Gazette (Boston), March 24 52. William Cooper et al., “To the Ingenious Author of Certain Patriotic Letters,” The Massachusetts Gazette (Boston), March 24 53. From William Hicks, March [31] 54. To William Hicks, March 31 55. JD et al., Opinion on a Fraud Case, The Pennsylvania Gazette, March 31 56. Anonymous, “To the Merchants and Traders of Philadelphia,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, March 31 57. From Edward Lloyd III, April 1 58. Monitor [Arthur Lee], Monitor’s Letters, No. 1, The Boston Evening-Post, April 4 59. A Puritan, Excerpt from a Letter to Messieurs Edes & Gill, The Boston-Gazette, April 4 60. “Extract of a Letter from a Gentleman in Newport,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, April 7 61. Philo PatriÆ, Letter to My Dear Countrymen, The New-London Gazette (Conn.), April 8 62. Timothy Tickle, Excerpt from “A Whip for the American Whig, No. II,” The New-York Gazette and the Weekly Mercury, April 11 63. To James Otis, Jr., April 11 64. Anonymous, “To the Printer,” The New-York Journal, April 14 65. Philo PatriÆ, Letter to My Dear Countrymen, The New-London Gazette (Conn.), April 15 66. The Merchants of the Town of Norwich, Conn., “To the Ingenious Author of Certain Patriotic Letters,” The New-London Gazette (Conn.), April 15 67. [A Son of Liberty], “To the Printer,” The New-York Journal, April 21, 1768 68. Advertisement for the Farmer’s Letters, The New-York Journal (supplement), April 22 69. From John Swint, April 22 70. From John Vining, April 23 71. The Freemen of Lebanon, Conn., “To the Ingenious Author of the Letters, Subscribed a Farmer,” The Boston Evening-Post, April 25 72. A Farmer [JD], “To the Very Respectable Inhabitants of the Town of Boston,” The Boston-Gazette, April 25 73. A Dissenter, Letter from a Gentleman at a Distance to His Friend at Court, [n.p., c. April 26] 74. [JD], An Address Read at a Meeting of Philadelphia’s Merchants, The Pennsylvania Journal, April 28 75. A.B. [JD], “The Centinel. No. VI,” The Pennsylvania Journal, April 28 76. “Extract of a Letter from a Gentleman in Virginia,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, April 28 77. An American Mariner [John Macpherson, Sr.], A Poem on the Farmer, The Pennsylvania Gazette, April 28 78. A.B. [JD], “The Centinel. No. VII,” The Pennsylvania Journal, May 5 79. N.N. [Benjamin Franklin], “The British Editor to the Reader,” in Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania . . . (London: John Almon, [c. May–June]) 80. A.B. [JD] and Anonymous [Francis Alison?], “The Centinel. No. VIII,” The Pennsylvania Journal, May 12 81. A Freeborn American [Charles Thomson], “To Messieurs Hall and Sellers,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 12 82. The Society of Fort St. Davids, Tribute to JD, The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 12 83. The Freemen of Mansfield, Conn., “To the Ingenious Author of Certain Patriotic Letters,” The New-London Gazette (Conn.), May 13 84. From Bennet Allen, May 15 85. Reply to the Society of Fort St. Davids, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, May 16 86. Summary of News Regarding the Farmer, Der WÖchentliche Pennsylvanische Staatsbote (Philadelphia), May 17 87. From Thomas Warner, May 21 88. From William Buchanan, May 24 89. To Edward Lloyd III, May 31 90. Review of the Farmer’s Letters in The Gentleman’s Magazine (London), June 1768, 293 91. From Christopher Gadsden, June 4 92. James Galbreath et al., Address to JD from the Grand Jury of the Court of the Assize for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and Answer, The Pennsylvania Gazette, June 9 93. From Elizabeth Moland St. Clair, June 12 94. From Catherine Hutchinson Moland, [June] 95. A Sympathizing South Briton, “Political Controversy,” Lloyd’s Evening Post (London), June 20 96. James Angell et al., “An Address from the Moderator and Freemen of the Town of Providence . . . to the . . . Farmer,” The Providence Gazette, June 25 97. To James Otis, Jr., [June 21–July 4] 98. To Edward Shippen IV, July 1 99. To James Otis, Jr., July 4 100. JD and Arthur Lee, “Song of Liberty,” [c. July 4] 101. From Philemon Dickinson, July 5 102. To James Otis, Jr., July 6 103. [JD and Arthur Lee], “Song of Liberty,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, July 7 104. A Farmer [JD], “To the Merchants of the Town of Norwich, in Connecticut,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, July 7 105. A.B. [JD?], “The Centinel. No. XVI,” The Pennsylvania Journal, July 7 106. From George Ross, July 9 107. Draft Letter to the Moderator and Freemen of the Town of Providence in New-England, [July] 108. A Farmer [JD], “To the Moderator and Freemen of the Town of Providence in New-England,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, July 11 109. Scrutator, “To the Printer,” The Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser (London), July 13 110. Fragment of To the Public, [July] 111. Pacificus [JD], To the Public (Philadelphia: [William Goddard], c. July 16) 112. [JD], A Copy of a Letter from a Gentleman in Virginia, to a Merchant in Philadelphia [Philadelphia, July 22] 113. Pacificus [Joseph Galloway], To the Public, (Philadelphia: William Goddard, c. July 25) 114. From Richard Henry Lee, July 25 115. Frank Meanwell, “From My Retirement on the Banks of Delaware,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, July 25 116. Draft of “To the Representatives of the Freemen of the City and County of Philadelphia,” [July] 117. N., Review of the Farmer’s Letters in The Monthly Review; or Literary Journal: By Several Hands (London), July 1768, 18–26 118. Review of the Farmer’s Letters in The Critical Review: Or, Annals of Literature (London), July 1768, 62–64 119. A Barbadian, Letter to Mr. Goddard, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 1 120. A Countryman, “To the Printer of the Pennsylvania Chronicle,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 1 121. A Son of Liberty, Letter to JD, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 1 122. [JD and Charles Thomson?], An Address at the Pennsylvania State House on July 30, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 1 123. Son of Liberty, “A Song. Address’d to the Sons of Liberty . . . ,” The Pennsylvania Journal, August 4 124. A.B., Letter to Mr. Green, The New-London Gazette (Conn.), August 5 125. A Barbadian, Letter to Mr. Goddard, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 8 126. [JD], “To the Representatives of the Freemen of the City and County of Philadelphia,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 8 127. To Richard Henry Lee, August 10 128. A Barbadian, Letter to Mr. Goddard, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 15 129. A Miller, “To the Printer of the Pennsylvania Chronicle,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 15 130. A Farmer [JD], “To the Freemen of the Town of Lebanon, in Connecticut,” The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 15 131. Machiavel, Letter to Mr. Goddard, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 22 132. Little John, The Farmer’s Answer to Lebanon, Conn., as Verse, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 22 133. To Sarah “Sally” Norris, [c. August 1768] 134. To Sarah “Sally” Norris, [c. August 1768] 135. Bequest to the Farmer, The Pennsylvania Gazette, September 1 136. From Sarah and Hannah Empson, September 1 137. Henry Sluyter, An Address to the Farmer from the Grand Jury of Cecil County, Maryland, and Answer, The Pennsylvania Gazette, September 1 138. From Edward Lloyd III, September 11 139. Little John, The Address of the Grand Jury of Cecil County, Maryland, and Answer, as Verse, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, September 12 140. Cato, In Favor of Nonimportation, The Pennsylvania Chronicle, September 12 141. “Extract from a Letter from the West of England,” The Boston-Gazette, September 12 142. A.B. [JD?], “To Messieurs Hall and Sellers,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, September 15 143. “Extract of a Letter from a Member of Parliament,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, September 15 144. “Extract of a Letter from London” The Pennsylvania Journal, September 15 145. Parody of the “Song of Liberty,” The Boston-Gazette (supplement), September 26 146. Excerpt from “A Letter from a Gentleman in London, to his Friend at Boston,” The Gentleman’s Magazine (London), September 1768, 421–22 147. Elizabeth GrÆme, “The Dream. A Poem. The Philosophical Farmer,” October 15 148. James Smither, The Patriotic American Farmer. J-n D-k-ns—n Esqr. Barrister at Law (Philadelphia: Robert Bell, [c. October 13–17]) 149. An American, Letter to Messieurs Edes and Gill, The Boston-Gazette, October 17 150. To [Thomas Penn], October 19 151. From John Holt, October 19 152. From John Holt, October 21 153. Scrutator, “To the Printer of The Craftsman,” The Boston Post-Boy, October 24 154. From William Buchanan, October 26 155. Review of the Farmer’s Letters in The Political Register, and Impartial Review of New Books (London), October 1768, 252–53 156. Excerpt from “Extract of a Letter from Pensacola, September 27, 1768,” The Pennsylvania Journal, November 3 157. Advertisement for the Ship Pennsylvania Farmer, The Pennsylvania Gazette, November 17 158. From Richard Henry Lee, November 26 159. Rusticus, Liberty, A Poem (Philadelphia: John Dunlap, [c. December 1]) 160. B., The Constitutionality of Customs Fees, The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 1 161. Bond to the Contributors to the Relief and Employment of the Poor in the City of Philadelphia, December 8 162. Anonymous, “The Editor’s Preface,” in Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania . . . (Dublin: Joseph Sheppard, [c. December 17]) 163. Elutherius, Excerpt from a Letter “To the Committee for Conducting the Free-Press,” The Public Register: Or, Freeman’s Journal (Dublin), December 27 1769 164. S.J., “On New Year’s Day,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, January 5 165. To Richard Henry Lee, January 16 166. [William Knox], Excerpt from The Controversy Between Great Britain and Her Colonies Reviewed (London: John Almon, [c. January 24]), 51–60 167. From Sarah Dickinson, January 27 168. From Jonathan Pleasanton, February 1 169. Excerpt from “Extract of a Letter, dated Nov. 18, 1768, from a Gentleman in London,” The Maryland Gazette (Annapolis), February 2 170. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter I,” The Boston Evening-Post, February 6 171. “Extract of a Letter from London, August 13, 1768,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 9 172. “Letters from Philadelphia of Nov. 18,” Lloyd’s Evening Post (London), February 10 173. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter II,” The Boston Evening-Post, February 13 174. To Ephraim Blaine, February 18 175. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter III,” The Boston Evening-Post, February 20 176. From Arthur Lee, February 26 177. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter IV,” The Boston Evening-Post, February 27 178. From John Joachim Zubly, [c. February] 179. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Remainder of Letter IV,” The Boston Evening-Post, March 6 180. From J. Hector St. John de Crévecœur, March 12 181. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter V,” The Boston Evening-Post, March 20 182. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Remainder of Letter V,” The Boston Evening-Post, March 27 183. Extracts from Letters, The Pennsylvania Journal, March 30 184. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter VI,” The Boston Evening-Post, April 3 185. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Remainder of Letter VI,” The Boston Evening-Post, April 10 186. Anonymous, Commentary on the Farmer’s Observations, The New-York Journal (supplement), April 13 187. Notes on Dominus Rex v. John Holland, [c. April 10–13] 188. From John Holland, April 14 189. To John Macpherson, Sr., [c. April 19] 190. To Arthur Lee, April 20 191. From Thomas Penn, May 12 192. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter VII,” The Boston Evening-Post, May 15 193. From Elizabeth Moland St. Clair, May 16 194. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter VIII,” The Boston Evening-Post, May 22 195. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter IX,” The Boston Evening-Post, May 29 196. From Elizabeth Moland St. Clair, [May–June] 197. N.P., “Letters in Answer to the Farmer’s. Letter X,” The Boston Evening-Post, June 5 198. “Extract of a Letter from London,” The Pennsylvania Gazette, June 8 199. To William Allason, June 21 200. To Unknown, June 22 201. To Richard Henry Lee, June 22 202. From Henry Melchior MÜhlenberg, June 23 203. To Arthur Lee, June 26 204. From David Hay, June 26 205. From Hannah Moland Hay, [June 27] 206. To David Hay, June 27 207. From John Blair, Jr., June 30 208. Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, preface and postscript to Lettres d’un fermier de Pensylvanie, aux habitans de L’Amérique septentrionale, [translation, preface, and postscript by Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg] (Amsterdam [Paris?]: aux dÈpens de la Compagnie, [c. June–July]) 209. From Dudley Templer, July 5 210. Richard Henry Lee, preface to The Farmer’s and Monitor’s Letters to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies (Williamsburg, Va.: William Rind, [c. July 20–27]) 211. “Extract of a Letter from London, April 25,” The Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon; Williamsburg), July 27 212. From John Macpherson, Sr., August 11 213. To John Macpherson, Sr., August 13 214. From John Witherspoon, August 18 215. To [Hannah Harrison], August 24 216. From Arthur Lee, August 26 217. Anonymous, Dedication in An Elegy to the Infamous Memory of Sr. F--- B----- (Boston, [c. August]) 218. Honorary Degree from the College of New Jersey, The New-York Gazette; or, the Weekly Post-Boy, October 9 219. To Arthur Lee, November 25 220. From Cecilia Shee, December 18 221. To William Killen, December 20 222. Anonymous, Review of Lettres d’un Fermier de Pensylvanie in Ephémérides du citoyen (Paris), 1769, 10:43–121, [c. December] 223. Denis Diderot, “Sur les lettres d’un fermier de Pensylvanie, aux habitans de L’Amérique septentrionale,” in Œuvres de Denis Diderot, publiées, sur les manuscrits de l’auteur, par Jacques-André Naigeon, t. 9 (Paris: Desray, et Deterville, 1798), 440–46 224. Notes for John Denn Lessee of Elias Hugg v. Robert Friend Price, Mary & Rebecca Harrison, [1769] 225. “Intention the Guide—the Pole Star in Construing Wills,” [1769] 226. Notes on Parliament [1769] 227. From William Hicks, n.d. 228. From William Hicks, n.d. APPENDICES INDEX