What is Freedom Worth to You?

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

I thought this historical information about the signers of the Declaration
of Independence was very interesting

I received this information in an email this morning from a good friend of mine. I found it interesting, not only for it's historical value , but for the irony of how it applies, or doesn't, to today's America. The fact of the matter is that if these 56 folks and their families had been nearly as purposely apathetic and deliberately ignorant as most Americans are now, we would live in a much different America today.

Read on and see if you think, honestly, deep down, that you would have chosen to sign the Declaration of Independence, knowing your fate ahead of time.


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.

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!



These 56 men, and their families, were true patriots. These folks knew, when they signed that document the were not only signing America's Birth Certificate, but that they were also signing their own death certificates along with many of their family member's death certificates.

Take a Stand America. WHAT IS FREEDOM WORTH TO YOU?

In God I Trust
Have a Great Day and a Better Tomorrow
ADW