Signing Their Rights Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the United States Constitution

By Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese

An entertaining and essential collection of stories about the surprising and strange fates of the thirty-nine statesmen who created the U.S. Constitution.

Remember when our elected officials knew how to compromise? Here are short, irreverent, fun, and fact-filled biographies of the 39 men who set aside their differences and signed their names to the U.S. Constitution—the oldest written constitution of any nation in the world. You’ll meet:

• The Signer Who Believed in Aliens
• The Signer Who Was Shot in the Stomach
• The Signer Who Went Bankrupt
• The Peg-Legged Signer
• And many more colorful colonists!

Complete with portraits of every signatory, Signing Their Rights Away provides an entertaining and enlightening narrative for students, history buffs, politicos, and Hamilton fans alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781594745317

Denise Kiernan

Denise Kiernan is the author of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Last Castle. Her previous book, The Girls of Atomic City, is a New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and NPR bestseller. Kiernan has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Ms., Reader’s Digest, Discover, and many more publications. She has also worked in television, serving as head writer for ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire during its Emmy award–winning first season and producing for media outlets such as ESPN and MSNBC. She has been a featured guest on NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” PBS NewsHour, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Reviews for Signing Their Rights Away

[meggyweg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This kind of irreverent, bouncy narrative is the kind of thing that gets people interested in history. The authors do a service by illuminating the historically obscure lives of most of the Declaration's signers, and by doing so in such an emminently readable fashion. It makes these men into human beings rather than wig-wearing monuments, and debunks some cherished myths about them. As each biographical sketch covers only a few pages, this is suitable for toilet or bedside reading. I would recommend this, particularly to those interested in early American history. It is suitable for upper elementary school and up (if you're willing to tolerate the odd swear word).

[jlcarroll · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-researched book on the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The authors imbued it with just the right mix of respect, humor and little-known tidbits to make this lofty, revered group seem human. Really enjoyed this read.

[mgeorge2755 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ever wondered who those men were that penned their name on the Declaration of Independence? This short book offers insight of what each man was risking by signing. 

[ccthulu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great little book. Although it would be easy to criticize this book for its lack of attention to detail and its ignoring of many important aspects of the individuals lives, but who cares? It was not intended as a monograph or an indepth study. It is what it is...a fun look at a diverse group of very interesting individuals. I plan on including some of the details of this book into my teaching (i.e. the origin of the word gerrymandering and/or how Samual Adams was a most unsuccessful businessman).

[marthahuntley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book as a quick way to reference the Declaration of Independence (both the inside cover, poster sized when spread out and an appendix have the full Declaration) and to learn a little bit about each signer. The tone is not very scholarly, more like learning about the signing of the Declaration of Independence from the movie 1776, than from an academic tome. It is a good book to pick up and put down ( I call them read-along books), and just good to have on hand. I took it to a July 4th party (for adults) and each person present chose to read about a signer of their choice and share what they learned that they hadn't known before. We all had fun with it. And yes, Benjamin Franklin (and other signers) were known to sometimes use salty language.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Short, breezy, potted biographies of the signers of the Constitution. Not much depth but if you want just a basic overview, this'll do.

[shieldmaidenofrohan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kiernan takes a very broad look at the signers of the US Constitution. Instead of dwelling on their main ideas or contributions, she looks instead at the "sensational" aspects of their lives--characterizing them variously as "The Signer Who Pinched Pennies", "The Signer Who ...Oh, There's No Way to Dance around the Issue, This Guy Was a Crook", "The Invisible Signer", or "The Underachieving Signer". The brief 3-4 page essays on each signer focuses on their earlier lives, occupation, and life after the Philadelphia Convention. If you are looking for a scholarly approach to the signers, this is not it; however, if you are looking for a sensationalized, unrepentant, irreverent view of the Constitutional signers--this might be for you.

[dumbbooks_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Kiernan and D'Agnese's brief but very informative book was right up this history buff's alley. After a brief introduction on the the Convention that produced the United States Constitution, the rest of the book devotes a chapter to each signer of the Constitution, giving a solid biography of each, as well as highlighting their contributions to the Constitution. There are appendices that list the full original text of the Constitution and its Amendments, as well as quick blurbs about other individuals associated with this historic document, including convention members who did not sign the final document.In general I love how Quirk books tend to highlight the truly weird and fascinating, while still maintaining some sort of value. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was my first introduction to this publisher and I can't say that I've been disappointed in much I've seen from them, and this entertaining, yet really useful non-fiction title is no exception.The dust jacket carries portraits of the signers with colorful one word descriptions such as "Bankrupt" "Pretty Boy" and "Fugitive", and even unfolds to reveal a replica of the original Constitution. The colorful descriptors on the cover match up with the equally memorable chapter headings such as "The Signer Who Stole $18,000 From Congress" and "The Signer Who Believed in Aliens". But, while making sure to highlight these colorful incidents, the book still sticks to the facts and provides a solid biographical sketch of each signer from birth to death without being too long, dry, or boring.While I enjoyed reading it from cover to cover, the book offers key biographical information on some of the lesser known Founding Fathers that would be useful to many students of American history. Maybe not a top priority for serious academic libraries, but certainly worth including in public libraries and middle and high school collections.

[cwflatt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book on these men who served their country in a very challenging time. Many have been lost to history and the heroic deeds they did and sacrifices they made, financially, emotionally and personally to create the greatest government constitution ever written. I believe every political leader should read about these men and aspire to be like them. They would then understand the constitution was not written to be exploited or changed but to be a document that this country can follow as long as man lives.

[movielizard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was spectacular! It makes the men of the Constitutional Convention more than just old white guys who lived 250 years ago. The separation of the men into sections by states helps to categorize them into their respective groups, as does the portrait, the signature, and title heading at the beginning of each individual chapter. Overall, those items along with many others (like the dust jacket unfolding into a copy of the Constitution) helps to make this book a concise and fun history of not only the men who created the Constitution, but also of Continental America as a whole. Additionally, the authors address many non-Constitutional issues which pulls many of the unknown gentlemen into the realm of interesting (with their connections to presidents, paper money, etc). The tidbits about personal lives are also nice.Signing Their Rights Away is a book to pick up and put down at leisure, and would be absolutely fantastic for anyone studying the Constitution.

[hildebrandfamily · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is basically a compilation of mini-biographies of the men who signed the US Constitution. It is an intriguing book. It is amazing to know the history of these men who made such an impact on our country. The book not only has an interesting subject matter but it is easy to read. The writing is completely accessible and injects humor into subject matter that could get quite bogged down.If you love obscure bits of history, you will love this book. If you just want something a little different, I would still recommend this interesting little piece.

[queencersei · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Signing Their Rights Away gives brief biographies of the lives of the 39 men who debated, created and eventually signed the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. Some of the men, such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, will be well familiar to readers. But the book really shines in relating the histories of the other, forgotten signers. Wealthy and poor, noble and ignoble, these men came together during a sweltering summer and crafted a document that in their opinion, was not very great, but good enough, all things being equal. And there lies the most fascinating part of one of America's most revered documents. In an age of hyper-political partisanship, the framers of the Constitution were forced to compromise cherished beliefs or risk seeing their newfound country break apart. Many of the frames did not trust 'the little guy' and did not think the average voter informed or intelligent enough to elect their own Senators or even the President. The big states, like Virginia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania wanted representation by percentage of population. Small states, like Delaware and New Jersey insisted on a more fair approach, threatening to torpedo the whole convention if they didn't get their way. Rhode Island didn't even bother to show up. But somehow all of these disparate beliefs and people came together and founded a system of government totally unique and eventually the envy of the world.

[snash_44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book consists of 39 thumbnail portraits of the men who signed the Constitution. Despite their briefness they included information on their upbringing, education, contribution to the Constitutional Convention, and life afterwards with a bit of color thrown in as well. The book also includes a copy of the constitution and its amendments . By reading the whole book one gets a sense of the gathering, that they weren't more perfect than a gathering of leaders would be now, making their accomplishment all the more amazing.

[ccrown_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This little book, a quick read that you can dip in and out of, is a great introduction to the men who created the United States Constitution. It's written in a modern, breezy style that gives 2 to 4 page biographies of men who altered the course of history. It points out, right away, that this is NOT the Declaration of Independence. That was created by another group of men who changed the course of history. This document defines our system of government and this book contains the entire document for your edification. I love the style of the biographies. Listed by state (from top to bottom, with a kinda jog for Pennsylvania), each founding father's signature on the Constitution is provided at the top of his page. Where he was from, occupation, DOB, DOD and final resting place are found next to a portrait of the man, along with a little tag like the One Who Footed the Tab (I'm paraphrasing, since I don't have the book in front of me) or The Invisible One (oops, no known portrait). And then, in a few pages, the authors tell you the FF's beginning, middle and end, his position on the Constitution and any fun facts they can toss at you. It made for an easy evening's read and will make a quick reference for armchair historians who turn to a book before they think to go to the internet.One of my favorite things about this book is the jacket. On one side are those portraits and quick tags and on the other side is The Constitution, with those 39 signatures. I found myself referring to that other side again and again as I read about these men --- 39 and I'm ashamed to say I only remembered two from my own state. All in all, an easy, breezy read that tantalized me into wanting to know more about these men. I'm off to the library!

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have a strong interest in the American Revolution and the men who brainstormed to create a system of government with checks and balances. I started reading Signing Their Lives Away as a distraction and ended up getting sucked into these short quips on each of the original signers of the Constitution, plus reading the Constitution itself and recognizing it's sheer brilliance. Definitely worth a read if this subject interests you.

[thothj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Signing Their Rights Away, written by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese, introduces readers to the 39 statesmen (including more than a few wastrels, scoundrels, drunks, debtors, swindlers and others of questionable morality) who met in the summer of 1787 to craft and eventually put their names to a revolutionary document one destined have world-wide repercussions………Americans know this document as the “U.S. Constitution”.

Signing Their Rights Away chronicles a unique moment in United States history, one where men from all over the country, from all different walks of life, in all different professions and all with different ideas about what type of constitution the new nation needed met one hot summer in 1787. What is monumental in this, is that these 39 individuals all came together, for the good of the United States and “compromised”, ultimately doing what was best for the American people.

But as interesting as the story is of the creation of the Constitution, the stories of the individual delegates who helped create it are even more fascinating. For example, Nicholas Gilman, delegate from New Hampshire, was a pretty boy who never said a single word during the entire convention, but who's enthusiasm for and promotion of the new Constitution helped ensure that New Hampshire became the ninth state to sign. Then there is Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman, who was the "only" founder to sign the four most important documents in the early history of the United States: the "Articles of Association", the "Declaration of Independence", the "Articles of Confederation" and the "Constitution". While Pennsylvania delegate, Thomas Mifflin, might have drunk more alcohol than the entire legislature of Pennsylvania, the man was a patriot, helping to raise troops to quell the Whiskey Rebellion. Finally, while Robert Morris, Pennsylvanian delegate and financier of the Revolution, wisely counseled all parties to “compromise” (something that both the GOP and the Democratic Parties should heed).

Signing Their Rights Away is an engaging and enlightening chronicle, one appealing to both armchair history buffs and historians alike.


***First Draft of Review***

"Signing Their Rights Away" was beyond fabulous! I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the lives of our nation's Founding Fathers. It even encouraged me to begin writing about what I call our "Forgotten Founding Fathers" on my Facebook account and Blog. The minutia of the lives of public figures is fascinating. For a few of the interesting quotes and people, see the comments I posted about this book or my blog/Facebook.

[mattries37315 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

They fought against the idea of a strong central government based in London but decided that a strong central government was needed in the United States. Signing Their Rights Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the United States Constitution by married writers Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese gives readers a crash course on each signer’s lives up to and after the Constitutional Convention.Throughout the Summer of 1787 men from 12—not Rhode Island—of the 13 States met in the same building that independence was declared to create a new government before the new nation burned down due to the failures of the Articles of Confederation. Over the course of the hot Philadelphia months, 55 men would participate in what became known as the Constitutional Convention but of those only 39 would sign the document that was sent to the States for ratification and is today in the National Archives. Kiernan and D’Agnese give brief biographical sketches of the 39 men—separated by state—whose signatures adorn the document filled with their life details as several anecdotes from the man who signed twice and who technically did not but is included, who died in a duel but did not get a Broadway bio play created for them, and who is so mysterious that we do not have any clue what he looked like. A illustrated portrait is included with 38 of the biographies to give faces to the signers especially those lesser known by the average American. While each biography is informative, the authors’ choice of off-handed remarks and other stylistic choices are at time annoying and off-putting which as it went on for almost 300 pages resulted in the rating this book received.Overall, this is a good overview of all the men who created the system of government that we still use today at least if we can keep it.

[jarratt_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Formatted exactly like its predecessor, "Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence," this book includes snapshots of each man who signed the US Constitution. It's a fun, brief overview of the lives and fates of these men. There's not much depth here, but that's not the point of the book. Its breezy style is fun to read and there are lots of neat factoids along the way. And the book jacket folds out into a large "poster" of the Constitution, so that's cool. Highly recommended!

[sgtbigg_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In Signing Their Rights Away the authors introduce the reader to the 39 men who met in Philadelphia during the hot summer of 1787 and eventually put their names to the U. S. Constitution. The book features mini-biographies of each signer; unfortunately it concentrates on the quirky or strange. As each bio is a separate section there is no over arching narrative. There’s nothing new here but it’s nor a bad place to start if you want to learn a little something about the men who drafted the Constitution

[chris177 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It never ceases to amaze me how little I know about the real history of America. In their book “Signing Their Rights Away”, Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese give us the real people, places and events that shaped our Constitution and affect who and what we are as a country today. Kiernan and D’Agnese takes us state by state, signer by signer to give a great look inside the minds of the people that signed the US Constitution, thereby giving us an insight into the Constitution itself. I really like the idea of using the back of the dust jacket to print a copy of the Constitution. Very nice! I got this book from LibraryThing as part of their book give away.

[torrey23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is very much like its' companion book, Signing Their Lives Away. The book is full of short biographies of each of the signers of the Constitution. It does not deal with how the Constitution came to be, it is concerned only with the Signers. This is an easy read and an enjoyable book.