Would you like to know what happened to the men who signed the Declaration of Independence? The 56 men who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for your freedom.
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. They were British subjects who fought against their our own government to establish a country with principles based upon freedom and liberty for all.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and plantation owners. These men were of means and well educated, and 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 that he was forced to constantly move his family. He served in the Congress without pay and his family was kept in hiding. Eventually, 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. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. His home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife and she died a few months later.
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 burned to waste. For more than a year, he lived in the forest and cave. When he returned home, he found his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
These men were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians, they were soft-spoken educated men of means. They had financial security, but valued “liberty” more than their own well being. With an unwavering faith and commitment, 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 created a free and independent country, a priceless gift for every man, woman and child. Many take these liberties for granted, while other are oblivious to the sacrifices made to build and preserve a great nation.
On the 4th of July, please take a few moments in gratitude for the patriots who set the foundation for this country, and to the soldiers who strive endlessly to preserve it. Your freedom has been paid by brave individuals who give it all for something they believe in more than life itself! By Linda Sumner Urza, One find day.
