4th of July/Declaration of Independence

[prefers shiners]

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence ?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
and tortured before they died.

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.

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 and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but 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 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. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy 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 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!

I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many
people as you can, please. It's time we get the word out that patriotism
is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer,
picnics, and baseball games.

[Good Stuff]

Thank you!

[jaxsprat]

Thank you!

X 2

[Cane Pole]

I am a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. Francis Lewis is a distant distant relative. He came from Wales. Wales is where my lineage is traced back to thus far.

I am a true blue blood unlike those who "make believe" to be.

I have papers and have been vaccinated.:rolleyes:

[Don G]

Very interesting....Thanks. I will pass it on to family members..

[STUMP HUNTER]

Good reading, thanks for posting it.

[Mrs. Crappie Stalker]

Great information! We have a local morning radio talk show that has an ongoing "Operation learn about our signers" of the Declaration of Independence. We have to make the effort to learn (and learn from) our history.

[Eager Beaver]

I have papers and have been vaccinated.:rolleyes:

Ya, but are ya house broke??? hehe EB

[Cane Pole]

Ya, but are ya house broke??? hehe EB

I use a slop jar.....:p

[Redy2Fish]

I know what a slop jar is and used one many a night when I was a young'un. You may have to explain the term?