Daniel Dulany the Younger
Encyclopedia
Daniel Dulany the Younger (June 28, 1722 – March 17, 1797) was a Maryland
Loyalist
politician, Mayor of Annapolis
, and an influential American lawyer in the period immediately before the American Revolution
. His pamphlet Considerations on the Propriety of Imposing Taxes in the British Colonies. which argued against taxation without representation
, has been described as "the ablest effort of this kind produced in America".
, into a family steeped in law and politics. His father was the wealthy lawyer and public official Daniel Dulany the Elder
(1685–1753). His brother Walter Dulany
would also go on to be Mayor of Annapolis
.
to be educated, at Eton College
and Clare College, Cambridge
. In 1742 he enrolled to study law at Middle Temple
, and was called to the English Bar before he returned to Maryland.
Dulany's skill as a lawyer was widely regarded, though as a result of his support for the Crown during the Revolution
his reputation would not endure after the war. Fellow lawyer and politician William Pinkney
regarded him as the peer of any lawyer in America or England, declaring that "even among such men as Fox, Pitt and Sheridan, he had not found his superior".
In 1753 his father died, and the younger Dulany inherited the family's extensive estates, thereby becoming wealthy in his own right.
to represent Frederick County
. He served for three years. In 1764, Dulany became Mayor of Annapolis
.
Dulany labored on behalf of the Lower House in the Proprietary Government, and it was largely through his efforts that the Lower House eventually won its 40-year struggle to control the application of fines and fees by the Proprietary Government, earning him the resentment of Governor Horatio Sharpe
.
, and wrote the noted pamphlet Considerations on the Propriety of Imposing Taxes in the British Colonies which argued against taxation without representation
. The pamphlet has been described as "the ablest effort of this kind produced in America", and may have provided at least some of the material for the speech given by Pitt in Parliament the following year. In the pamphlet, Dulany summarized his position as follows: "There may be a time when redress may not be obtained. Till then, I shall recommend a legal, orderly, and prudent resentment".
, and in that vein engaged in a famous newspaper discussion with Charles Carroll of Carrollton
. In these debates, both men adopted pseudonyms, Dulany being "Antillon", and Carroll "First Citizen". Charles Carroll, then relatively unknown, adopted the more populist argument, claiming that the government of Maryland
had long been the monopoly of four families, the Ogles
, the Taskers, the Bladens and the Dulanys. Dulany took the contrary view. Eventually word spread of the true identity of the two combatants, and Carroll's fame and notoriety began to grow. Eventually Dulany resorted to highly personal ad hominem attacks on "First Citizen", and Carroll responded, in statesmanlike fashion, with considerable restraint, arguing that when Antilles engaged in "virulent invective and illiberal abuse, we may fairly presume, that arguments are either wanting, or that ignorance or incapacity know not how to apply them".
Eventually, as war became inevitable, Dulany found his essentially moderate position untenable and he found himself forced to choose sides. Dulany was not able to rebel against the Crown he and his family had served so long. He believed that protest rather than force should furnish the solution to America's problems, and that legal process, logic, and the "prudent" exercise of "agreements" would eventually prevail upon the British to concede the colonists' demands.
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
politician, Mayor of Annapolis
Mayor of Annapolis
The Mayor of Annapolis is the chief political figure in the city of Annapolis, which is the capital city of Maryland. The mayor is elected to a four-year term.-List of Mayors of Annapolis:*1708–1720 Amos Garrett*1720–1721 Thomas Larkin...
, and an influential American lawyer in the period immediately before the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. His pamphlet Considerations on the Propriety of Imposing Taxes in the British Colonies. which argued against taxation without representation
No taxation without representation
"No taxation without representation" is a slogan originating during the 1750s and 1760s that summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists in the Thirteen Colonies, which was one of the major causes of the American Revolution...
, has been described as "the ablest effort of this kind produced in America".
Early life
Daniel Dulany was born on June 28, 1722 in Annapolis, MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, into a family steeped in law and politics. His father was the wealthy lawyer and public official Daniel Dulany the Elder
Daniel Dulany the Elder
Daniel Dulany the Elder was a prominent lawyer and land-developer in colonial Maryland, who held a number of colonial offices. In 1722 Dulany write a pamphlet entitled The Right of the Inhabitants of Maryland, to the Benefit of the English Laws, asserting the rights of Marylanders over the...
(1685–1753). His brother Walter Dulany
Walter Dulany
Walter Dulany was a politician in Colonial Maryland, who served as Mayor of Annapolis from 1766 to 1767. His family house and land at Windmill Point later became the location for the United States Naval Academy.-Early life:...
would also go on to be Mayor of Annapolis
Mayor of Annapolis
The Mayor of Annapolis is the chief political figure in the city of Annapolis, which is the capital city of Maryland. The mayor is elected to a four-year term.-List of Mayors of Annapolis:*1708–1720 Amos Garrett*1720–1721 Thomas Larkin...
.
Education
Like many sons of wealthy Maryland families, Dulany was sent to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to be educated, at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
. In 1742 he enrolled to study law at Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, and was called to the English Bar before he returned to Maryland.
Dulany's skill as a lawyer was widely regarded, though as a result of his support for the Crown during the Revolution
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
his reputation would not endure after the war. Fellow lawyer and politician William Pinkney
William Pinkney
William Pinkney was an American statesman and diplomat, and the seventh U.S. Attorney General.-Biography:Born in Annapolis, Maryland, Pinkney studied medicine and law, becoming a lawyer after his admission to the bar in 1786...
regarded him as the peer of any lawyer in America or England, declaring that "even among such men as Fox, Pitt and Sheridan, he had not found his superior".
Marriage
In 1749 he married Rebecca Tasker, daughter of the powerful Benjamin Tasker (1690–1768), President of the Governor's Council, and Proprietary Governor of Maryland from 1752 to 1753.In 1753 his father died, and the younger Dulany inherited the family's extensive estates, thereby becoming wealthy in his own right.
Politics
Dulany was a member of the Maryland legislative assembly from 1751 to 1754, he was appointed to the Governor's Council (1757–76) in recognition of his support for the colony's proprietary government. In 1751 Dulany was elected to the Maryland General AssemblyMaryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
to represent Frederick County
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
. He served for three years. In 1764, Dulany became Mayor of Annapolis
Mayor of Annapolis
The Mayor of Annapolis is the chief political figure in the city of Annapolis, which is the capital city of Maryland. The mayor is elected to a four-year term.-List of Mayors of Annapolis:*1708–1720 Amos Garrett*1720–1721 Thomas Larkin...
.
Dulany labored on behalf of the Lower House in the Proprietary Government, and it was largely through his efforts that the Lower House eventually won its 40-year struggle to control the application of fines and fees by the Proprietary Government, earning him the resentment of Governor Horatio Sharpe
Horatio Sharpe
Horatio Sharpe was the 22nd Proprietary Governor of Maryland from 1753 to 1768 under the Restored Proprietary Government.-Biography:...
.
Coming of Revolution
Although Dulany would not go on to support the overthrow of British rule in Maryland, he was a noted opposer of the Stamp Act 1765Stamp Act 1765
The Stamp Act 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. The act required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp...
, and wrote the noted pamphlet Considerations on the Propriety of Imposing Taxes in the British Colonies which argued against taxation without representation
No taxation without representation
"No taxation without representation" is a slogan originating during the 1750s and 1760s that summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists in the Thirteen Colonies, which was one of the major causes of the American Revolution...
. The pamphlet has been described as "the ablest effort of this kind produced in America", and may have provided at least some of the material for the speech given by Pitt in Parliament the following year. In the pamphlet, Dulany summarized his position as follows: "There may be a time when redress may not be obtained. Till then, I shall recommend a legal, orderly, and prudent resentment".
Newspaper wars
Despite this open and articulate opposition to the Stamp Act, Dulany remained a loyalistLoyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
, and in that vein engaged in a famous newspaper discussion with Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as United States Senator for Maryland...
. In these debates, both men adopted pseudonyms, Dulany being "Antillon", and Carroll "First Citizen". Charles Carroll, then relatively unknown, adopted the more populist argument, claiming that the government of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
had long been the monopoly of four families, the Ogles
Ogle family
The Ogle family was prominent landed gentry in Northumberland from before the time of the Norman Conquest.-Origins:The earliest appearances of the family name was written Hoggel, Oggehill, Ogille and Oghill....
, the Taskers, the Bladens and the Dulanys. Dulany took the contrary view. Eventually word spread of the true identity of the two combatants, and Carroll's fame and notoriety began to grow. Eventually Dulany resorted to highly personal ad hominem attacks on "First Citizen", and Carroll responded, in statesmanlike fashion, with considerable restraint, arguing that when Antilles engaged in "virulent invective and illiberal abuse, we may fairly presume, that arguments are either wanting, or that ignorance or incapacity know not how to apply them".
Eventually, as war became inevitable, Dulany found his essentially moderate position untenable and he found himself forced to choose sides. Dulany was not able to rebel against the Crown he and his family had served so long. He believed that protest rather than force should furnish the solution to America's problems, and that legal process, logic, and the "prudent" exercise of "agreements" would eventually prevail upon the British to concede the colonists' demands.
After the Revolution
As a Loyalist, most of Dulany's substantial property was confiscated in 1781. He died March 17, 1797, in Baltimore.Sources
- Andrews, Matthew Page, History of Maryland, Doubleday, New York (1929)
- Land, Aubrey C. The Dulanys of Maryland: A Biographical Study of Daniel Dulany, the Elder (1685–1753), and Daniel Dulany, the Younger (1722–1797). Baltimore, Maryland Historical Society: 1955.