The Declaration of Independence Was Written in 2011, Not 1776. 17-year-old Christopher "Topher" White's days of living off the grid in Philadelphia end when the sale of credit card data he hacked goes bad. He survives a gunshot wound and exposes his existence to a cryptic collective called the Regents. They have documentation of Topher's past, so to get them back, he negotiates to get his GED and to work as a janitor at Independence Hall. Topher's life changes the night five men stumble out of the bell tower. He believes them to be drunk actors, but later figures out they're the Committee of Five who traveled in time from 1776 to 2011. Topher connects with Benjamin Franklin and influences edits to the Declaration of Independence. Meanwhile, Giovanni Rosso, Wall Street billionaire and leader of a ruthless cabal, becomes aware of Franklin's presence and steals the Regents' device for time travel. Topher must help get the Founders get back to 1776 in time to deliver the Declaration of Independence, or put both the fate of America and his quest for personal independence at risk.