4th of July and Patriotism
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!
I hope you will show your support by please sending this to as
many
people as you can. 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.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
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