Signing their rights away: the fame and misfortune of the men who signed the United States Constitution

Description

Presents the lives, deaths, and scandals involving the thirty-nine signers of the United States Constitution, including Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James McHenry.;A constitutional cheat sheet -- A constitutional time line -- New Hampshire. John Langdon : the signer who picked up the tab ; Nicholas Gilman : the most handsome signer -- Massachusetts. Nathaniel Gorham : the signer who considered a monarchy ; Rufus King : the signer who always ran (and never won) -- Connecticut. William Samuel Johnson : the signer who lived the longest ; Roger Sherman : the signer who knew how to compromise -- New York. Alexander Hamilton : the signer who died in a duel -- New Jersey. William Livingston : the signer-poet ; David Brearley : the signer who proposed erasing state boundaries and starting over ; William Paterson : the son of a door-to-door salesman ; Jonathan Dayton : the signer who stole $18,000 from Congress -- Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin : the signer known throughout the world ; Thomas Mifflin : the signer who was ruined by drink ; Robert Morris : the signer who went to debtors' prison ; George Clymer : the signer whose home was destroyed by the British ; Thomas FitzSimons : the signer who loaned away his fortune (and never got it back) ; Jared Ingersoll : the signer who couldn't keep up with fashion ; James Wilson : the signer-turned-fugitive ; Gouverneur Morris : the playboy with the wooden leg -- Delaware. George Read : the signer who signed twice ; Gunning Bedford Jr. : the signer who trusted no one ; John Dickinson : the signer who never signed ; Richard Bassett : the signer who overcame religious discrimination ; Jacob Broom : the invisible signer -- Maryland. James McHenry : the signer immortalized by the Star-Spangled Banner ; Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer : the signer with the mysterious middle name ; Daniel Carroll : the signer who helped create Washington, D.C. -- Virginia. George Washington : the President of the Constitutional Convention ; John Blair : the underachieving signer ; James Madison Jr. : the father of the Constitution -- North Carolina. William Blount : the signer who-- oh, there's no way to dance around the issue, this guy was a crook ; Richard Dobbs Spaight : the other signer who died in a duel ; Hugh Williamson : the signer who believed in aliens -- South Carolina. John Rutledge : the signer who attempted suicide ; Charles Cotesworth Pinckney : the signer who wouldn't bribe the French ; Charles Pinckney : the ghost writer of the Constitution? ; Pierce Butler : the signer who turned coat on the king -- Georgia. William Few : the signer who lived the American dream ; Abraham Baldwin : the signer who pinched pennies -- Appendix I. The U.S. Constitution. Text of the U.S. Constitution ; Text of the Bill of Rights ; Additional amendments -- Appendix II. A constitutional miscellany. Preserving the Constitution ; The penman of the Constitution ; William Jackson, the fortieth signer ; Will the real Constitution printer please stand up? ; Who signed the Bill of Rights? ; By the numbers ; They came, they saw, they didn't sign ; Immigrant signers. A constitutional cheat sheet -- A constitutional time line -- New Hampshire. John Langdon : the signer who picked up the tab Nicholas Gilman : the most handsome signer -- Massachusetts. Nathaniel Gorham : the signer who considered a monarchy Rufus King : the signer who always ran (and never won) -- Connecticut. William Samuel Johnson : the signer who lived the longest Roger Sherman : the signer who knew how to compromise -- New York. Alexander Hamilton : the signer who died in a duel -- New Jersey. William Livingston : the signer-poet David Brearley : the signer who proposed erasing state boundaries and starting over William Paterson : the son of a door-to-door salesman Jonathan Dayton : the signer who stole $18,000 from Congress -- Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin : the signer known throughout the world Thomas Mifflin : the signer who was ruined by drink Robert Morris : the signer who went to debtors' prison George Clymer : the signer whose home was destroyed by the British Thomas FitzSimons : the signer who loaned away his fortune (and never got it back) Jared Ingersoll : the signer who couldn't keep up with fashion James Wilson : the signer-turned-fugitive Gouverneur Morris : the playboy with the wooden leg -- Delaware. George Read : the signer who signed twice Gunning Bedford Jr. : the signer who trusted no one John Dickinson : the signer who never signed Richard Bassett : the signer who overcame religious discrimination Jacob Broom : the invisible signer -- Maryland. James McHenry : the signer immortalized by the Star-Spangled Banner Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer : the signer with the mysterious middle name Daniel Carroll : the signer who helped create Washington, D.C. -- Virginia. George Washington : the President of the Constitutional Convention John Blair : the underachieving signer James Madison Jr. : the father of the Constitution -- North Carolina. William Blount : the signer who-- oh, there's no way to dance around the issue, this guy was a crook Richard Dobbs Spaight : the other signer who died in a duel Hugh Williamson : the signer who believed in aliens -- South Carolina. John Rutledge : the signer who attempted suicide Charles Cotesworth Pinckney : the signer who wouldn't bribe the French Charles Pinckney : the ghost writer of the Constitution? Pierce Butler : the signer who turned coat on the king -- Georgia. William Few : the signer who lived the American dream Abraham Baldwin : the signer who pinched pennies -- Appendix I. The U.S. Constitution. Text of the U.S. Constitution Text of the Bill of Rights Additional amendments -- Appendix II. A constitutional miscellany. Preserving the Constitution The penman of the Constitution William Jackson, the fortieth signer Will the real Constitution printer please stand up? Who signed the Bill of Rights? By the numbers They came, they saw, they didn't sign Immigrant signers.