probably most of yall have read this but maybe some have not and since its almost july 4th i thought i would give it a bump up,,
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 McKean 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, Rutledge, 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.
Frances Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife,
and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven form his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen
children fled for their lives. His fields and 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. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a
broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. 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 you and me a free and independent America. The history books never
told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight
just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own
government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't.
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.
It's time we get the work out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the 4th of July
has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
Author unknown.
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 McKean 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, Rutledge, 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.
Frances Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife,
and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven form his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen
children fled for their lives. His fields and 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. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a
broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. 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 you and me a free and independent America. The history books never
told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight
just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own
government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't.
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.
It's time we get the work out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the 4th of July
has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
Author unknown.
