GOD BLESS AMERICA: AMERICA BLESS GOD!!! > > > > > > > > >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. > > 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 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
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