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Here's a little historical perspective on
> Independence Day.
>
> 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 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!
>
Here's a little historical perspective on
> Independence Day.
>
> 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 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!
>