Being a patriot

Being a patriot

Introduction

A patriot is someone who loves, upholds the values of a country, and respects the people who fought struggled for a country’s independence. The history of America described john Dickinson as a true patriot and an opportunist. Dickinson enjoyed the of the patriots before the American colonies declared their independence. He helped the lead opposition to the stamp act, which helped the British to have the colonists cover the art of the mounting cost of the empire through taxation. He was definitively a patriot as was among the pioneers of the penman of the revolution. He dedicated his life by writing letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania, which made him even more famous. He is considered as a man who firmly believed that the government was social contact between the people and the governors. He often found himself as an Englishman with the privileges and rights that every citizen endured. Therefore, this paper aims at justifying how John Dickinson, a controversial figure in US history, is a patriot and an opportunist.

As a patriot, his view of the governments evolved naturally. He was born into a wealthy family full of privileges and was listed to take after his father’s footsteps. Knowing about the rights of the citizens began when he began training in Philadelphia and the four years in London. Spending the time there allowed him to hear the legal mind and also argue the finer points about the rights of the citizens. Every patriot must know the rights of the citizens in their country that when they are violated, he can defend them. For instance, Dickinson was able to oppose abridgment of the rights of a citizen by the parliament. However, when other people opposed to the point of rebellion, he refused to sign the petition. He often considered an appeal to help the king and the parliament to dissolve the petition brought forth.

Moreover, the only time he signed the petition was when king George publicly sided with the ministers and ordered the royal army to New York. However, it took him time to sign the declaration an is considered as the first citizen to defend the new nation. The acts that he did show that he loved his country and was willing to do anything within his power to protect the rights of the citizens.

Joining the USA politics went hand in hand with the rise in colonial opposition towards the London government. The stamp act was the first attempt to impose direct taxation on the colonies hence provoking anger from the leaders and the citizen. Jealous of the privileges enjoyed by the legislatures, the colonies refused to pay taxes and ended up boycotting. Dickinson was among the people who played a significant role in the opposition. Nevertheless, he sought to have violence as many people thought rebellion was the only way to be heard.

For this reason, he urged other American citizens to rely on economic pressure and promised to get help from the power British merchants in the colonial error. By encouraging the other American to remain calm, his arguments were encapsulated in his letters and other essays, which gained fame throughout the world. He also argued that the Townshend acts were prohibited since their main aim was to increase revenue and hold powers held by the authorities. A true definition of patriotism is standing up with what one thinks is right, even if it is not famous among the people. This is what Dickinson did by standing farm that violence would not solve any problem, but reconciliation would.

For the love of his country, he decided to volunteer for the militia services. A good patriot holds the principles of the declaration of independence to contain the basic principles of humanity and apply it to everyone. For instance, In his statement for joining the army, he supported the right of free citizens to defend themselves from any direct attack by the enemies. He also enlightened his fellow Pennsylvanians on the significance of preparedness while in the military. For this reason, he had been chosen as the chairman of Pennsylvania’s Committee of Safety and Defense in 1775. As a competent and reliable soldier, he prepared the first battalion of troops. The action made the Pennsylvania associators to have his group of military volunteers to fight for them.

Dickinson and his average cohorts were more into humanity rather than politics and ideology. Unlike his other cousins who were more into rebellion movements, he was more inclined to believe that the British government was in the hands of abhorring conspirators. However, he firmly believed that the brothers across the Atlantic would come into their senses and realized that it was useless to rule the colonies by force. He was also the kind of man who chose the benefits of sympathy for suffering Massachusetts’s rather than power. The act that he had established would teach the colonies the cost of defying an empire and also teach them the essence of respecting human rights.

Another form of moderation and patriotism for Dickinson laid in his complicated relationship with faith. His parents and wife were Quakers. Nonetheless, Dickinson identifies his friends who were committed to pacifism without putting into consideration their religion. His close involvement with the Quaker culture left him with a moral duty to seek peaceful resolution among the various communities. A true patriot respects the culture and diversity of all religions to promote the general welfare of a country; this can be seen through hi, having various friends with a different religion. The majority of historians have stated that Dickinson was not a Quaker. For instance, his religious life was not included while he was with friends. Moreover, the break between his father, Quaker and him meant that he was not a member of the meeting he also married his broad in a civil ceremony as he informed the wife that he was not ready to attend the Quakers meeting. For this reason, his wife presented a sincere apology to the Quakers officials and promised to devout and adhere to the religious practices, unlike Dickinson..

Conclusion

Being a patriot is often a hard task as people often find themselves misled by the ones in authority. Partisans often suffer attacks for defying constitutional rights and end up losing their power. Through the history of Dickinson, it was not easy as people did not know their rights, and the country was gaining its independence. Reading Dickinson’s letters teaches people that they are not responsible for their outcomes. His arguments often encouraged people to saturate the proposed constitution with strong confederation as it is a type of security for every danger brought forth.

Work cited

Colbourn, H. Trevor. “John Dickinson, Historical Revolutionary.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 83.3 (1959): 271-292.

Dickinson, John. The Political Writings of John Dickinson, Esquire: Late President of the State of Delaware, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Vol. 2. Bonsal and Niles, 1801.

Ketcham, R. L. (1963). Pride and Patriotism: Adams Family Letters.

Muller, J. W. (2009). Constitutional patriotism. Princeton University Press.