Lives of the Signers is a collection of fifty-four biographies of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. It includes more familiar names like John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, to the historically obscure. A collection of interesting stories of how each man came to sign a document that would eventually shake the world. In the process committing high treason against the most powerful nation on earth. One was a doctor who was able to treat a fatal disease no one else was treating at the time. Another was an orphan left with a large estate. Yet another was a minister who changed careers. All came from different walks of life with contrary views on many subjects, yet manged to birth the United States of America. The men whose biographies are included in this book are: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton, John Hancock, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery, Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott, William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris, Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross, Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas M'Kean, Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Nelson Jun., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton, William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn, Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Thomas Lynch Jun., Arthur Middleton, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton, Lives of the Signers was originally published in 1860.