We the People

Image of Constitutional Congress via Wikipedia

As the United States' government is now shut down, I cannot help but think of the law of the land. The US Constitution was the first of its kind and has been an influence on several other constitutions around the world. Think what you will about the people running the government, the law itself is pretty impressive. So, let's take a look at the names of the men who signed the law that allows something like a shutdown to happen but also still holds the country together. On September 17, 1787, 40 men signed the Constitution, and their names are:

George Washington
George Read
Gunning Bedford, Jr.
John Dickinson
Richard Bassett
Jacob Broom
James McHenry
Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer
Daniel Carroll
John Blair, Jr.
James Madison, Jr.
William Blount
Richard Dobbs Spaight
Hugh Williamson
John Rutledge
Charles Cotesworth (C.C.) Pinckney
Charles Pinckney
Pierce Butler
William Few, Jr.
Abraham Baldwin
John Langdon
Nicholas Gilman
Nathaniel Gorham
Rufus King
William Samuel Johnson
Roger Sherman
Alexander Hamilton
William Livingston
David Brearley
William Paterson
Jonathan Dayton
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Mifflin
Robert Morris, Jr.
George Clymer
Thomas Fitzsimons
Jared Ingersoll
James Wilson
Gouverneur Morris
William Jackson

There are definitely a number of traditional names in the bunch, such as George, William, James, Thomas, Daniel and John. But there are also some great standouts, like Gunning, Hugh, Pierce, Abraham, Rufus, and Gouverneur! The surnames are also wonderful to consider; my favorites are Blair, Rutledge, Langdon, Shermon, Livingston, Dayton, Morris and Fitzsimons.

If you had to use one of the signers' names, which would you choose?