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When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the people fear the government, you have tyranny. Thomas Jefferson |
Last Updated 1/7/08
Copyright 1996-2008, The Frugal Domme
All Rights Reserved
Declaration of Independence Facts
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.
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If Homeland Security Keeps on the way they are going, this is how we're going to be ordering Pizza in the future...Ordering Pizza in 2010