Facts about the Declaration of Independence!

[imported_kydawg95]

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

5 signers were capured by the british as traitors, and tortured before they died.

12 had their homes ransacked and burned.2 lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army.another had 2 sons captured.

9 of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
hardships of the Revolutionary War.

What kind of men were they?

24 were lawyers and jurists.11 were
merchants,9were 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 McKean 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.

Vandels or soldiers looted properties of Dillery,
Hall,Clymer,Walton,Gwinnett,Heyward,Ruttledge,
and Middeleton.

At the battle of Yorktown,Thomas Nelson,Jr.,noted
that the BritishGeneral Cornwallis had taken over
the Nelson home for his headquarters.

He quietly urged General George Washington to open
fire.The home was destroyed,and Nelsondied 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 wifedead 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 life
and Thank God for the price they paid.

Remember: Freedom is never free!

It's time we got the word out that patriotism is NOT a
sin,and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer,
picnics,and baseball games.

[Jason]

Great post! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[starbuck]

The Truth:
This is a delicate one and could possibly be affected by which history book you read and how you interpret what is there. The courageous patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence, as well as other of the fathers of our country, deserve all the recognition and honor we can give. They risked everything to bring this country into being. This email, however, makes it sound as though the British won, not the Colonists. We don't want to diminish the sacrifices each of them experienced. There were hardships and losses, but to characterize the signers as not having enjoyed the fruits of their project of liberty is to overlook the quality of their abilities and the success of what they did.

Here are some of our findings:

First, none of the signers of the Declaration of Independence died in captivity. All but two, or possibly three, died natural deaths and the majority of them lived to advanced age and had adequate possessions if not wealth. Of the deaths, Thomas Lynch, Jr. was lost at sea on a recreational voyage, Button Gwinett died from injuries in a duel with a political rival, and George Wythe was thought to have been poisoned by a man who wanted his estate, but the man was acquitted. At least four of the signers were captured by the British, but apparently because they were soldiers, not signers of the Declaration. We consulted seven sources about the signers and none contained accounts of what could be called torture, at least not that was directed toward any of them for being founding fathers. Two who were captured may have experienced some kind of torture because of the severity of their confinement, but that is conjecture. All were released and died natural deaths, although the health of some was affected by their imprisonment.


For more information:
Colonial Hall Biographies of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
The National Archives

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/patriots.htm

[imported_kydawg95]

I wasn't trying to make it look like the British won at all just thought I would share this with you cause it was in The United States of America Veterans mag summer 2005 edition.Just thought everyone would find it interesting.