Great moments in U.S. History - you had to be there

�I guess I�ll sign it - all the other guys did�

John Hancock, before signing the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776


�This better be good, Franklin � I don�t have a bunch of lawyers to tell me what it means�

George Washington, before signing the Constitution, September 17, 1787


�OK, OK, Seward, Stanton - just remember, YOU talked me into this, I�m not responsible�

Abraham Lincoln, before signing the Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863


�I guess maybe if I sign this thing, these proceedings would be closed � what do you guys think I should do?�

General Douglas McArthur before signing the Japanese surrender treaty, September 2, 1945


�What good is reading the bill if it's a thousand pages and you don't have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?�

Michigan Congressman, the Honorable John Conyers, explaining why he doesn�t have time or inclination to read a bill before he votes on it, July 28, 2009.