Quaker Constitutionalism and the Political Thought of John
Dickinson - Publication date:December 2008 - Dimensions: 234 x
156 mm - Weight: 0.7kg - In stock In the late-seventeenth
century, Quakers originated a unique strain of
constitutionalism, based on their theology and ecclesiology,
which emphasized constitutional perpetuity and radical change
through popular peaceful protest. While Whigs could imagine no
other means of drastic constitutional reform except revolution,
Quakers denied this as a legitimate option to governmental abuse
of authority and advocated instead civil disobedience. This
theory of a perpetual yet amendable constitution and its
concomitant idea of popular sovereignty are things that most
scholars believe did not exist until the American Founding. The
most notable advocate of this theory was Founding Father John
Dickinson, champion of American rights, but not revolution. His
thought and action have been misunderstood until now, when they
are placed within the Quaker tradition. This theor