One of the underreported faults of the U.S. Constitution is that it was signed too late in the summer of 1787 to qualify for a rip-roaring holiday featuring hot dogs, brewskis, and fireworks. By the time the federally-observed Constitution Day rolls around this September 17, Americans will have stowed away their flags and grills and give little thought to paying tribute to the 39 men who affixed their names to the U.S.'s framing document.
Americans wax poetic about the Declaration signers, hailing them as fiery rebels and patriots, often ignoring the second crop of men who gathered in Philadelphia 11 years later to hammer out the Constitution that still governs us today. That's a darn shame, because the Constitution signers were every bit as interesting--quirky, brilliant, rascally, and odd--as the men who came before them.
We've been obsessed with signers of all stripes for number of years now. The men of 1787 may have yearned to form a more perfect union, but they were far from perfect themselves. Our new book, "Signing Their Rights Away: The Fame & Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the U.S. Constitution" (Quirk Books) offers mini-biographies of their inspiring, colorful stories. Here are some factoids about those who took up quill, and the document they signed.
