Suicide Pact: 56 men put their lives on the line by signing the Declaration of Independence.

The article considers how members of the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during July 1776 put both their lives and fortunes at risk through their actions. Signers of the Declaration discussed include Founding Fathers John Hancock of Massachusetts, Charles Carroll of Maryland, and George Taylor of Pennsylvania. The 1818 historical painting entitled "Declaration of Independence" by John Trumbull is discussed.