Ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British… declared as traitors, and… tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes burned…
Two lost sons serving in the Revolutionary Army…
Two had sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds…
They signed… they pledged their lives… their fortunes, and… their sacred honor.
What Kind of Men Were They?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists…
Eleven were merchants…
Nine were farmers…
They were men of means… Well educated…
But They Signed the Declaration of Independence.
They knew full well… if captured… the penalty would be death.
Carter Braxton saw the British Navy sweep his ships from the seas… He sold his home and properties to pay his debts… He died in rags.
Thomas McKeam served in the Continental Congress without pay… The British so hounded him he had to keep his family in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed… The British jailed his wife, and… she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying… Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year Hart lived in forests and caves… Returning home to find his wife dead and children vanished… He died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Dillery’s… properties were looted by British soldiers.
Thomas Nelson Jr’s home was taken by British General Cornwallis to serve as his headquarters at the battle of Yorktown. Nelson urged General George Washington to open fire… Nelson‘s home was destroyed, and… Nelson died bankrupt.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such Were the Stories and Sacrifices of the American Revolution.
Hall… Clymer… Walton… Gwinnett… Heyward… Ruttledge, and Middleton. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians… They were soft-spoken men of means and education… They had security, but they valued liberty more…
Standing Tall, Straight, and Unwavering, They Pledged:
For the support of this declaration… with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence… we mutually pledge to each other… our lives… our fortunes, and… our sacred honor.”
They Gave Us a Free and Independent America.
History books never told a lot about what happened to these men during the Revolutionary War. We Didn’t Just Fight the British… We were British subjects at that time, and that means we fought our own government! Today, some take these liberties for granted… But we shouldn’t. Take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday to Give Thanks These Patriots… It’s the least you can do… for the price they paid.
Freedom is Never Free! Patriotism is NOT silly or a sin. The Fourth of July has much more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
On this 250th Anniversary of our Nation’s birth, Give Thanks to the Awesome Opportunity You’ve Been Given to be an American.
