HAPPY 4TH OF JULY !!
Have you ever wondered what
happened to the 56 men who signed
our Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British, considered traitors against England, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the American Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 signers fought and died from wounds or hardships of the War Independence.
They signed and 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 signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British Army that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson Home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed by British troops. 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 by British troops. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: Freedom is never free! Patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, BBQs, and fireworks displays. God Bless America and have a Happy Fourth of July!