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

Unfold Book Jacket for a Full-Color Reproduction of the U.S. Constitution

With their book Signing Their Lives Away, Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese introduced readers to the 56 statesmen (and occasional scoundrels!) who signed the Declaration of Independence. Now they’ve turned their attention to the 39 men who met in the summer of 1787 and put their names to the U.S. Constitution.

Signing Their Rights Away chronicles a moment in American history when our elected officials knew how to compromise—and put aside personal gain for the greater good of the nation. These men were just as quirky and flawed as the elected officials we have today: Hugh Williamson believed in aliens, Robert Morris went to prison, Jonathan Dayton stole $18,000 from Congress, and Thomas Mifflin was ruined by alcohol. Yet somehow these imperfect men managed to craft the world’s most perfect Constitution. With 39 mini-biographies and a reversible dust jacket that unfolds into a poster of the original document, Signing Their Rights Away offers an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages.

Denise Kiernan is a journalist, producer, and the New York Times best-selling author of the narrative nonfiction books, The Last Castle and The Girls of Atomic City. Joseph D’Agnese is a journalist, author and ghostwriter who has written for both adults and children. With his wife, Denise Kiernan, he has authored several books on U.S. history, including Signing Their Lives Away, Signing Their Rights Away, and Stuff Every American Should Know. They live in North Carolina.