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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.
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second column)
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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 Fourth of July holiday and silently thank these patriots.
It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never
free!
[Note: This historical
information was obtained on the Internet from unknown and unverified
sources. This information is posted as unsubstantiated by LDN.]
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[JULY 4, 2000]
