Declaring Independence . . .

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, the document that declared that the colonies no longer wanted to be under English rule but wanted to become a nation of free men. It sounds a simple thing to put one’s signature on an important document. There were, however, prices to pay for taking a stand and meaning it with all one’s heart. What happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence once the ink was dry and the independence was declared? First of all, this incited war and there were ramifications.

Five of the signers were captured by the British, declared traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two of the men lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army. One had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 signers fought and died, either from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.

All these brave men signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Who were these men?

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  urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson, having lost everything, 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.

These were the 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!

The modern world has, in many ways, lost the sense of liberty and sacrifice. We are a self-centered country putting many of life’s pleasures before everything else. We have lost a sense of morality and dignity in many respects. Our future citizens are being destroyed in the womb before they can become a part of the freedom of this country.

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted. 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. Freedom is never free! We currently have a government who is bending and reshaping our Constitution and freedoms. If we truly care about being a part of a great country and not just a citizen looking for a government handout, we might start being a part of a change for the better by reading The Declaration of Independence as a part of our Fourth of July to teach and remind our families how this holiday came into being and be grateful.

Patriotism is not a sin. Wearing a red, white, and blue tee shirt proclaiming our country is not a sin any day of the week. Yes, the Fourth of July is a day to celebrate as long as we learn about and remember the blood, tears, and sacrifice that brought it to us. When you see the ‘rockets red glare’ in your holiday celebrations, take a moment to think about the deadly serious battles that won this freedom for us.