The Declaration of Independence: What ever happened to the signers?
.
.
.
.
Have you ever wondered
Two lost their sons
Carter Braxton of Virginia,
He served in the Congress
The enemy jailed his wife,
Their 13 children
So, take a few minutes
what happened to the 56
men who signed the
Declaration
of Independence?
Five signers were captured
by the British as traitors,
and tortured before
and tortured before
they died.
Twelve had their homes
ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons
serving in the Revolutionary
Army;
another had
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.
and their sacred honor.
What kind of
men were they?
Twenty-four were
lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
nine were farmers and
nine were farmers and
large plantation owners;
men of means,
men of means,
well educated,
but they signed the
but they signed the
Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the
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
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.
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.
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
silently thank these
patriots.
It’s not much to ask
for the price they paid.
Remember:
Freedom is never free!
Excellent and very nicely put together.
Thanks for reminding all of us how precious our freedom is.
Dawn - July 4, 2009 at 4:10 pm |
I am ever so grateful for your taking the time to put this excellent synopsis together.
As an aging civil rights activist who has lost a home, job, church family and finally the ability to walk due to those who continue to deny other Americans equal rights.
I fully appreciate the personal cost one risks when speaking up against a larger, better funded and popular political body.
Our nation has a history and people with whom we can be very proud of, a very fine heritage and then we have portions of our history and people that have wrought disgrace upon our nations heritage. For the citizens of our future, it will be critical for them to study the factual history of this great land and learn from the mistakes all of us who came before made.
I will always be proud of being an American and to have had ancestors who go back to being engaged in our first battle/skirmish, the French Indian War.
I am equally proud of my ancestors who were here and met those who first came on boats to “settle” in this land.
Carolyn Wagner - July 4, 2009 at 8:35 pm |
I wish I could
take the credit for
doing the research
and writing this story,
Dawn and Carolyn.
My wiser older brother
sent me this story in an
E-mail and the writer did
not include his name.
I just added the photos –
the story stirred my heart
and i knew i had to share
it with you MOON readers.
Rash
rashmanly - July 5, 2009 at 1:36 am |
What a great reminder of what these men and their families endured to get us where we are today. It would be awesome to be able to talk to each of them and hear what they think of our country today! Thank you for the share!
Chris - July 6, 2009 at 3:37 pm |