LETTERS FROM A FARMER IN PENNSYLVANIA

The essays called '''Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania''' were written by the Pennsylvania lawyer and legislator John Dickinson (1732-1808) and published under the name, "A Farmer," from 1767 to 1768. The twelve letters were widely read and reprinted throughout the thirteen colonies, and were important in uniting the colonists against the Townshend Acts. The success of his letters earned Dickinson considerable fame.
While acknowledging the power of Parliament in matters concerning the whole British Empire, Dickinson argued that the colonies were sovereign in their internal affairs. He thus argued that taxes laid upon the colonies by Parliament for the purpose of raising revenue, rather than regulating trade, were unconstitutional.
In his letters, Dickinson foresees the possibility of future conflict between the colonies and Great Britain, but urges against the use of violence:

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★ Full Text of Letters