What happened to the 56 signers of the Declaration of independence - GoFuckYourself.com

Dan · 07-01-2009, 08:52 AM

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.

So you see, those serving our nation in far away places have a legacy of men who left their families to fight for what they believe in. Please keep our military in your thoughts as you enjoy the freedom that is being defended by our nation's military.

seeandsee · 07-01-2009, 09:01 AM

Brave people

Platinumpimp · 07-01-2009, 09:03 AM

I stopped reading after ''Nine of the 56 fought"

u-Bob · 07-01-2009, 09:05 AM

Kiwigirl · 07-01-2009, 09:17 AM

I have several friends in the military, one of which departs for Iraq in a few weeks.
I support this countries troops and have done for many years by sending care packages to friends to help brighten their day. "Porn mags in Pringles cans are a big hit!"
It's amazing how the littlest things in life can mean so much when you generally take things for granted.

Mr Pheer · 07-01-2009, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platinumpimp

I stopped reading after ''Nine of the 56 fought"

And we wouldnt expect anything less from you.

Phoenix · 07-01-2009, 09:26 AM

no one exists like that these days...anywhere

if they pop up they are labelled conspiracy theorists these days..and tossed aside as crazy

funny how often those crazies end up being right in the long run

AsianDivaGirlsWebDude · 07-01-2009, 10:08 AM

As a veteran myself (USN six years) I am mindful of the sacrifices and hardships that those whom serve in the military must endure.

Nonetheless, I try to not blindly wrap myself in the flag, nor believe everything I am told, particularly when a story appears to have a specific agenda, and I know some of the facts to be different.

Consider this response to the chain letter above:

Quote:

For the record, here's a portrait of the men who pledged "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" for liberty many years ago.

Fifty-six men from each of the original 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Nine of the signers were immigrants, two were brothers and two were cousins. One was an orphan. The average age of a signer was 45. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate at 70. The youngest was Thomas Lynch Jr. of South Carolina at 27.

Eighteen of the signers were merchants or businessmen, 14 were farmers, and four were doctors. Twenty-two were lawyers - although William Hooper of North Carolina was "disbarred" when he spoke out against the king - and nine were judges. Stephen Hopkins had been governor of Rhode Island. Forty-two signers had served in their colonial legislatures.

John Witherspoon of New Jersey was the only active clergyman to attend. (Indeed, he wore his pontificals to the sessions.) Almost all were Protestants. Charles Carroll of Maryland was the lone Roman Catholic.

Seven of the signers were educated at Harvard, four at Yale, four at William & Mary, and three at Princeton. Witherspoon was the president of Princeton, and George Wythe was a professor at William & Mary. His students included Declaration scribe Thomas Jefferson.

Seventeen signers fought in the American Revolution. Thomas Nelson was a colonel in the Second Virginia Regiment and then commanded Virginia military forces at the Battle of Yorktown. William Whipple served with the New Hampshire militia and was a commanding officer in the decisive Saratoga campaign. Oliver Wolcott led the Connecticut regiments sent for the defense of New York and commanded a brigade of militia that took part in the defeat of General Burgoyne. Caesar Rodney was a major general in the Delaware militia; John Hancock held the same rank in the Massachusetts militia.

The British captured five signers during the war. Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, and Arthur Middleton were captured at the Battle of Charleston in 1780. George Walton was wounded and captured at the Battle of Savannah. Richard Stockton of New Jersey never recovered from his incarceration at the hands of British Loyalists. He died in 1781.

Thomas McKean of Delaware wrote John Adams that he was "hunted like a fox by the enemy - compelled to remove my family five times in a few months." Abraham Clark of New Jersey had two of his sons captured by the British during the war.

Eleven signers had their homes and property destroyed. Francis Lewis's New York home was razed and his wife taken prisoner. John Hart's farm and mills were destroyed when the British invaded New Jersey, and he died while fleeing capture. Carter Braxton and Nelson, both of Virginia, lent large sums of their personal fortunes to support the war effort but were never repaid.

Fifteen of the signers participated in their states' constitutional conventions, and six - Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, Franklin, George Clymer, James Wilson, and George Reed - signed the U.S. Constitution.

After the Revolution, 13 signers went on to become governors. Eighteen served in their state legislatures. Sixteen became state and federal judges. Seven became members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Six became U.S. senators. James Wilson and Samuel Chase became Supreme Court justices. Jefferson, Adams, and Elbridge Gerry each became vice president. Adams and Jefferson later became president.

Five signers played major roles in the establishment of colleges and universities: Franklin and the University of Pennsylvania; Jefferson and the University of Virginia; Benjamin Rush and Dickinson College; Lewis Morris and New York University; and George Walton and the University of Georgia.

Adams, Jefferson, and Carroll were the longest surviving signers. Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Carroll was the last signer to die in 1832 at the age of 95.

The rumor debunker site Snopes, has an even more detailed account CLICK HERE to read.

ADG

07-01-2009, 08:52 AM	#1
Dan Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 1,087	What happened to the 56 signers of the Declaration of independence 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. So you see, those serving our nation in far away places have a legacy of men who left their families to fight for what they believe in. Please keep our military in your thoughts as you enjoy the freedom that is being defended by our nation's military. __________________ RazorEdgeTalent.com Magazine.xxx payoutmag.com

07-01-2009, 09:01 AM	#2
seeandsee Check SIG! Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Europe (Skype: gojkoas) Posts: 50,945	Brave people __________________ BUY MY SIG - 50$/Year Contact here

07-01-2009, 09:03 AM	#3
Platinumpimp Logos and such. Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Kingdom of the Netherlands Posts: 10,214	I stopped reading after ''Nine of the 56 fought" __________________ I design logo's.

07-01-2009, 09:17 AM	#5
Kiwigirl Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 2,556	I have several friends in the military, one of which departs for Iraq in a few weeks. I support this countries troops and have done for many years by sending care packages to friends to help brighten their day. "Porn mags in Pringles cans are a big hit!" It's amazing how the littlest things in life can mean so much when you generally take things for granted. __________________ KIWISOURCING OUTSOURCING WITH A TWIST!

07-01-2009, 09:26 AM	#7
Phoenix BACON BACON BACON Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Poems everybody, the laddie fancies himself a poet Posts: 35,462	no one exists like that these days...anywhere if they pop up they are labelled conspiracy theorists these days..and tossed aside as crazy funny how often those crazies end up being right in the long run __________________ Skype Phoenixskype1 Telegram PhoenixBrad https://quantads.io

07-01-2009, 09:05 AM	#4
u-Bob there's no $$$ in porn Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: icq: 195./568.-230 (btw: not getting offline msgs) Posts: 33,063