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Federalist
Delaware was a small state located on the Chesapeake Bay. In 1787, it was estimated that it had a population of 37,000 people, making it the smallest state population in America. Like the rest of the middle colonies, it had fertile soil, and there were farmers in the state. A large part of Delaware's economy came from the Delaware River and fur trapping. Also, the numerous forests allowed for lumbering and shipbuilding. Delaware was ethnically diverse as a result of multiple countries establishing settlements in the area, and there was religious toleration, allowing for many different influences in the state. The colonial government was very democratic, though not to the extent of town hall meetings in New England. In general, there was a lot of both social and economic democracy in Delaware.
 * State Representing**: Delaware

Dickinson was born on his family's plantation in Talbot County, Maryland. He was raised in a wealthy, plantation-owning family. He studied law first in Philadelphia, then in London, and eventually became a lawyer. His plantation in Kent County, Delaware, which he called Poplar Hall, at first grew tobacco, but later shifted to wheat and barley. John Dickinson lived at his plantation at Poplar Hall in 1776-77, where he freed his slaves in 1777, and also in 1781-82, but mostly lived in Philadelphia, until moving to Wilmington, Delaware in 1785. From his background in law, he moved into politics. He served in both Delaware's and Pennsylvania's governments in the early 1760s. He was appointed by Pennsylvania as a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress, where he drafted its resolutions. He was very active in attacking, but also urging a peaceful resolution for, the numerous taxes and laws imposed on the colonies by Britain. In 1774, he was the chairman of the Philadelphia committee of correspondence. He was against independence and the Declaration of Independence, and refused to sign it. He represented Pennsylvania at the Continental Congress from 1774-76, and Delaware from 1779-81. He also served as President of Delaware from 1781 to 1783, and as President of Pennsylvania from 1782 until 1785. He wrote the original draft of the Articles of Confederation in 1776, and signed the final copy.
 * Occupation/Background**

John Dickinson was appointed to represent Delaware at the Convention as one of five from Delaware. Being a federalist, he supported a strong central government, but only after the Great Compromise was reached, giving the Senate equal representation from every state, including small ones like Delaware. Dickinson wanted one branch of the legislature to have representatives chosen directly by the people, and the other by state governments. He pushed for, along with a strong national government, power for state governments as well. He believed in equality amongst the states, and that population should not dictate who has more influence. Even though he missed multiple sessions of the Convention and was forced to leave early due to illness and did not actually sign it (George Read, a fellow delegate from Delaware, had his permission to sign his name for him), he still made many contributions, like helping to put together the Great Compromise.
 * Role at the Constitutional Convention**

Dickinson was a strong advocate of the Constitution, and wrote a series of nine essays under the name "Fabius" convincing others that the Constitution should be ratified. Delaware's ratifying convention had only convened for three days when they unanimously voted, 30 to 0, in favor of the Constitution, becoming the first state to ratify.
 * Role in Delaware's Ratification of the Constitution**

John Dickinson believed the central national government should be stronger, but also that the states should retain some power. He thought small states, like Delaware, should have as much say in Congress as big states, like Virginia, at least in some aspect. Dickinson wanted one part of the legislative branch to be elected directly by the people, and the other part by state legislatures, in order to safeguard against poor decisions by either group. He thought there should be limits on who had too much control, like national vs. state and big states vs. small states (he helped engineer the Great Compromise).
 * Arguments for the Constitution**

Friends- Benjamin Rush, Federalists Foes- George Mason, Patrick Henry, Anti-federalists
 * Friends/Foes**


 * References:**
 * Benjamin Rush
 * Ben Franklin
 * Alexander Hamilton

"America's Founding Fathers - Delegates to the Constitutional Convention."//National Archives and Records Administration//. Web. 17 Sept. 2011. .
 * Works Cited**


 * Dickinson, John. "John Dickinson - The Letters of Fabius." //Deila | The Dickinson Electronic Initiative in the Liberal Arts//. Web. 17 Sept. 2011. .

"Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution." //Constitution Day//. Web. 17 Sept. 2011. .


 * James Madison " The Federal Convention of 1787," //Annals of American History.// Chicago: Encylopaedia Britannica, 1968. Print.