4TH OF JULY Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence

4TH OF JULY

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.

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 sending this to
as many people as you can, please. 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..

This page was created for the Salina Masonic Center

and all the bodies of Masonry associated with the Masonic Center.

For further comments or questions please email Tracy L. Bloom web creator.