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About the Fourth of July

by From the Publisher's Desk
7/4/2015

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 fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

A first copy of the Declaration of Independence was found at Britain’s National Archives, officials said yesterday.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.

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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 thirteen 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.

File:Independence Hall Assembly Room.jpg
(The Assembly Room in Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence)

So, take a few minutes to silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free!

For more information about the signers, check out the web site:

http://www.usconstitution.net/declarsigndata.html

Comments (4)

Great article. Considering that we never even sacrifice a trip to Wal-mart, it gives you a sense of what real ideals are about. They were all heroes but some are almost forgotten, their sacrifices for creating this country should never be.

Mark Schultz | 2015-07-04 09:32:13

What do you have to do to keep the freedoms they gave up so more for? VOTE, informed at every election. That's not much for such a great return!

Henry Dellicker | 2015-07-04 08:34:53

Thank you for this article. These days, over 200 years later, The Founding Fathers is an old fashioned and antiquated term to a lot of Americans. Their courage, sacrifice, and commitment to secure our freedom from England should never be forgotten. Reading this article helps us realize just how difficult their fight was to ensure our freedom.

Charlie | 2014-06-29 17:10:42

Thanks for this great article. Thomas McKean has a public high school named after him. It is locate in Wilmington, Delaware and is the home of the Fighting Highlanders!

Pat Montain | 2014-06-29 05:35:08