Q& A with authors Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese Which signer was your favorite to research? Denise became fascinated with a little-known Signer named Roger Sherman, a cobbler-turned-lawyer from Connecticut who holds the distinction of having signed not one but four founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. And he started his life learning to repair shoes! Joe was entranced by the life of Signer Francis Hopkinson, who had a mind much like Ben Franklin’s. Hopkinson wrote music, played instruments, dabbled with crazy inventions, wrote poems, and loved to draw. He may well be the genius who designed the first American flag. What’s the most surprising fact you learned? The biggest myth about the Signers is that they suffered or were killed because they signed the Declaration of Independence. Yes, some of them were captured by the British and imprisoned during the Revolutionary War. Many Signers lost homes and property during the war. [But] no Signer was killed because he signed the document. Josiah Bartlett You probably know him as the ancestor and namesake of the president on The West Wing (played by Martin Sheen), but did you know that Josiah Barlett was also the first man in Congress to vote for independence? And not only that, but he was the first to approve the Declaration on July 4th, and the first—after the president of Congress—to sign the final draft of the document. In fact, Bartlett was such a vocal supporter of independence that he missed his session in the First Continental Congress because his house had recently been burned to the ground, allegedly by opposing Tories. John Adams After John Adams signed the Declaration of Independence, he went on to become the first vice president and the second president of the United States, as well as the father of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president. But did you know that Adams was supposed to write the Declaration of Independence as well? Despite his many accomplishments, Adams’ peers considered him, in his own words, “obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular.” Adams was so afraid that his unpopularity would tank the country’s bid for independence that he insisted Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration instead. And the rest, as they say, is history! Benjamin Franklin By the time he signed the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin was already famous across the globe. He was a writer, philosopher, publisher, scientist, and the inventor of the lightning rod, bifocals, and more. He founded the first American hospital, library, and volunteer fire department, as well as the academy that would become the University of Pennsylvania. By the time Franklin joined Congress, he was pushing seventy, and was notorious for napping during meetings. Nevertheless, Franklin roused himself long enough to suggest that Thomas Jefferson add a line to the Declaration which would go down in history: “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” Button Gwinnett Button Gwinnett—who died in a duel less than a year after signing the Declaration—may be one of the few signers who was more interesting in death than in life. After history buff Arthur J. Funk claimed to have found Gwinnett’s grave in Savannah in the ’50s, the bones were sent to the Smithsonian for examination. The cities of Augusta and Savannah each demanded the remains for their Declaration signers’ memorials, but eventually Savannah won out and Gwinnett was reburied in the original cemetery in the ’60s. Where did Gwinnett’s bones rest during these years of dispute? In a casket in Arthur J. Funk’s guest room! Josiah Bartlett John Adams Benjamin Franklin Button Gwinnett
✔ Author(s): Denise Kiernan,Joseph D'Agnese
✔ Title: Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence
✔ Rating : 4.6 out of 5 base on (570 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1683691261
✔ ISBN-13: 9781683691266
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Signing Their Lives Away by Denise Kiernan
Lucy Garraway
This book has reignited my passion for reading. It reminded me of the sheer joy that can be found in losing oneself in the pages of a good story. I can't wait to explore more books now.
Rosa Bax
What an intellectual journey! The themes explored in this book challenged my perceptions and sparked introspection. It's refreshing to read a book that provokes such thought.
Laura Hill
The plot was incredibly well-crafted, with twists and turns that kept me hooked until the very last page. It was impossible to predict what would happen next.
