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. 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 of what happened in the Revolutionary War.
> We didn't just fight 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...We shouldn't.
>
> So, take a couple of minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday
> and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the
> price they paid . . .
>
> LET'S ALL REMEMBER THAT FREEDOM IS "NEVER FREE"!!!!
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> We'd be honored if you'd take the time to visit our web pages at:
> http://members.wbs.net/homepages/y/b/c/ybcat/Territory.html
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