Dr. Jane E. Calvert, founding director and chief editor of the John Dickinson Writings Project, notes that “if Americans today know anything about John Dickinson, it is only that he refused to vote on or sign the Declaration of Independence.”

Historians have felt justified in excluding Dickinson from the story of the American Founding without understanding his decision. But this omission has deprived the public of one of the most compelling elements of the Revolution—a story of selfless and steady leadership that not only made the Declaration of Independence possible but also created the reality of American independence over the critical years before and after the Declaration.

Calvert earned her doctorate in early American history from the University of Chicago in 2003. Her work focuses on the intersection of theology and political thought in the Colonial and Founding eras, especially theories and practices of rights advocacy and resistance to governmental oppression.

Event Details:

• Admission: Free
• Schedule: Held the first Thursday of each month through November.
• Sponsors: Funded by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, with support from the Friends of Lorenzo and Meier’s Creek Brewing Company.