John Dickinson
John Dickinson (1732-1808) was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774-1776 and from Delaware in 1779. Dickinson is known as the "Penman of the Revolution" for his powerful and eloquent writings urging resistance to unjust British tax policies, particularly his "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania," which he wrote between 1767 and 1768, and the "Declaration of the Causes of Taking Up Arms" he wrote as a member of the Continental Congress in 1776. Dickinson was one of the signers of the Articles of Confederation, and was also a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787; although he did not personally sign the Constitution, he authorized George Read to do so for him. [1] His illustrious career was also marked by service as President of Delaware in 1781, and President of Pennsylvania from 1782-1785. [2]