In the summer of 1776,
fifty-six men risked their lives and livelihood to defy King George III and sign the
Declaration of Independence yet how many of them do we actually remember?
Signing Their Lives Away introduces readers to the eclectic group of statesmen, soldiers, slaveholders, and scoundrels who signed this historic document and the many strange fates that awaited them. Some prospered and rose to the highest levels of United States government, while others had their homes and farms seized by British soldiers. Signer George Wythe was poisoned by his nephew; Button Gwinnett was killed in a duel;
Robert Morris went to prison; Thomas Lynch was lost at sea; and of course
Sam Adams achieved fame as a patriot/brewer. Complete with portraits of the signers as well as a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence,
Signing Their Lives Away provides an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages.
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Background Information
The men who attended the Second Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence risked their lives and fortunes to announce the new nation to the world. The Declaration of Independence was promulgated by the Second Continental Congress and declared independence for the 13 colonies from Britain. Robert Morris, one the financiers of the American Revolution, lost his fortune through bad investments and went bankrupt. Samuel Adams was a brewer and patriot from Boston during the American Revolution.
