Midlife’s A Trip

4th of July – The First Reality Show

Posted on 03. Jul, 2009 by Karen in Holidays

I wish I could claim authorship of this interesting essay on the men who bravely stepped forward to create the Declaration of Independence but I can’t. It was written by an unknown author and sent to me by a friend. I typically don’t post email stories here on Midlife’s A Trip. But today, I’m making an exeption.

You see – anything about the 4th of July has special meaning to me because I have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. For them the fight for freedom was no walk in the park.

Their day to day struggles were America’s first reality show. I hope as you read below about the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence that you gain a better appreciation for the sacrifices all the patriots made to bring us the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

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.

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.

In memory of those who fought to make America land of the free and home of the brave.

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Tags: 4th of July, American patriots, Declaration of Indepence, Independence Day, Karen Batchelor, Midlife's a Trip, Revolutionary War