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Reposted by The John Dickinson Writings Project

Jonathan Gienapp @jgienapp.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The William and Mary Quarterly forum on the recently discovered John Dickinson documents, revealing his previously unknown secret attempt to prevent the American Revolution, is now available online! The WMQ has generously made the issue open access for the next month. muse.jhu.edu/issue/57168

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

We are pleased to announce that our federal funding has finally been renewed with a NEH Scholarly Editions grant! The lapse in funding has been difficult, but we are still on track to finish Vol. 5 (1770-1774) this fall, and we are making excellent progress on Vol. 6 (1774-1777). Stay tuned!

neh.gov

NEH Announces $41.4 Million for 81 Humanities Projects

Grant awards support the preservation of foundational documents, museum exhibitions and historic sites, humanities initiatives, and collaborative research

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

• The Harry M. Ward Book Prize from the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond • The American Revolution Round Table of Philadelphia Book Award Many thanks to the organizations and the committees! 2/2

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

The JDP is pleased to announce that Penman of the Founding, has won the following 4 awards: • The James Kirby Martin History Prize from the Fort Plain Museum & Historical Park • The Herbert J. Storing Book Prize from the Ciceronian Society 1/2

amazon.com

Amazon.com: Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson: 9780197541692: Calvert, Jane E.: Books

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

He then led the battalion he raised and trained to Elizabeth Town, NJ, to meet the British in New York. He was one of only a small minority of congressmen to serve in the military. In 1777, he then joined the Delaware militia as a private, the only leading figure to serve at that level. #patriotism

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

He had explained himself in 1775: "If Congress shall differ from Me in Judgement, I shall esteem it not only my indispensible Duty to submit my Opinion to their better Decision, but also to strive to the utmost of my small Power to carry their Determinations whatever they may be, into Execution.”

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

As much as he didn't want independence and believed it could spell disaster for America, he knew that if a vote happened, it should be unanimous. The world should believe we were united, even if we were not. So Dickinson avoided the State House on that day, abstaining from the vote.

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

On this day in 1776, the Second Continental Congress held a vote on whether to declare independence from Great Britain. John Dickinson, who had spoken eloquently against it the day before, knew how the vote would go.

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

@thefp.com Thank you for this nice summary of Dickinson's actions when independence was being debated and declared!

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

He predicted that if America could prevail in only a couple of campaigns, the British would cave and give us everything we wanted. He would be proven right. But after Adams spoke in favor of independence, he knew it would pass. He also knew what he would do in the vote the next day...

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

We had no manufacturing to make ammunition and weapons; minimal forces; no foreign allies; no unity; no constitution. He surely already knew his version of the Articles wouldn't stand, and religious dissenters' rights wouldn't be protected.

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

On this day in 1776, driven by conscience, John Dickinson gave his final speech against declaring independence. He was willing to ruin his reputation to save his country. Explaining that he wasn't opposed to independence per se, just the timing, he reiterated his concerns that America wasn't ready.

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

2) that only Congress could declare war; 3) no government officer could accept gifts from foreign leaders or heads of state; 4) no standing army; 6) a query suggesting slavery ought to be abolished;

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

In June 1776, John Dickinson made the most revolutionary contribution to the American Revolution. He wrote a draft of the Articles of Confederation intended to protect Americans' most basic rights. Among the key provisions were 1) a strong central government to which the states would be subordinate;

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The John Dickinson Writings Project @jdproject.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

What better as an inaugural post than to announce the publication of an article in the NYT about the work of the John Dickinson Writings Project and the discovery of several remarkable new Dickinson documents?

nytimes.com

The Founding Father Who Sought a Last-Minute Deal to Avert the Revolution

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