moreluck
golden ticket member
July 4th History
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.
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.