Writings of John Dickinson (1732–1808)

FAIN: RQ-279921-21

University of Delaware (Newark, DE 19711-3651)
Trevor A. Dawes (Project Director: December 2020 to present)
Jane E. Calvert (Co Project Director: February 2021 to present)

Preparation for print and online publication of volumes four and five of the writings of John Dickinson (1732–1808), statesman from Delaware and Pennsylvania. (36 months)

The John Dickinson Writings Project (JDP) is working with the University of Delaware (UD) to publish The Complete Writings and Selected Correspondence of John Dickinson (UD Press) in an estimated 12 print volumes. It seeks NEH funding to hire two full-time Assistant Editors to complete Vol. 4 (1767–1769) and 5 (1770–1775) and purchase the indexing software CINDEX. The JDP launched in 2010 with an NEH grant. It has published Vol. 1 (2020). Vol. 2 will appear in early 2021, and Vol. 3 will appear in late 2021. We anticipate the project ending in 2039. Dickinson served in every national congress and convention (1765-1787). He wrote more for the American cause than any other, including most of the nation’s first state papers. The Founding era cannot be fully understood without reading his works. He was the only one to advocate for rights for subordinated groups—blacks, women, Indians, the poor, and criminals. This project is an ideal fit with the “More Perfect Union” initiative.