by McKayla Holson, Editorial Editor
Constitution Day is a day commemorates the signing of the constitution on September 17, 1787
To recognize this, Northwestern held a Constitution Day event on Wednesday. Dr. Aaron Mason and Dr. Jane Calvert discussed John Dickinson at this event.
Calvert is the foremost authority on Founding Father John Dickinson. She has a Ph.D. the University of Chicago and is the director and chief editor of the John Dickinson Writings Project. Calvert is also an associate professor of history at the University of Kentucky.
The event started with a brief background on Dickinson’s life. Calvert said it was important to understand his background for people to understand his way of thinking.
Calvert referred to Dickinson as the first patriotic hero. Dickinson refused to sign or vote on the Declaration of Independence and even delayed the process, but Calvert said this delay was beneficial. The delay strengthened the fight against Britain.
Dickinson was also the author of Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer. Calvert said these essays got Americans thinking about rights and liberties. She also said the essays got Americans thinking of themselves as something separate from Britain.
Calvert said not to believe how Dickinson is portrayed through the media. She said the most accurate representation she found was from the South Park episode “I’m a Little Bit Country.”
