Nicholas Van Dyke was born in 1738 and educated at home, later reading law in Philadelphia. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1765 and became actively involved in Delaware's political landscape, participating in the Delaware Constitutional Convention in 1776. Van Dyke held various roles, including serving in the State Council, the Continental Congress, and as Speaker of the State House. He also contributed to settling Delaware's war debt and managed the controversial case of Loyalist Cheney Clow.

Nicholas Van Dyke's political identity is marked by a calculated approach to regional interests, as evidenced by his unexpected stance on Loyalist Cheney Clow's execution. His legislative record reveals a nuanced handling of justice, balancing legal rigor with public sentiment. Van Dyke's handling of Delaware's war debt also highlights a strategic prioritization of fiscal stability over ideological rigidity.