The Flag

[Jon Page]

The 56 Patriots Who Signed
The Declaration of Independence

REMEMBERING INDEPENDENCE DAY

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 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!

~ Author Unknown ~