4th of July

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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!

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.

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Thanks Johnny. These are the kinds of lessons that haven't been taught in our schools in many years. I've had my memory banks refreshed at some of the intangible costs these patriots paid.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny
the Fourth of July has more to it than beer,
picnics, and baseball games.


There would also be the Mattress Center's Independence Day Discount Sale!
wink.gif
 
Very few realize there are bigger causes in life beyond themselves.

side note:
Why is the 4th of July the only date referred to as a holiday? It's Independence Day, but most call it "4th of July". We don't use 25th of December, 1st of January, or even 11th of November. ???
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
Why is the 4th of July the only date referred to as a holiday? It's Independence Day, but most call it "4th of July".
They really should have called it the 2nd of July, the actual date independence was declared.
wink.gif
 
Thank you for the post (Johnny).

Unfortunately few if any people like that exist today. It's all about personal gain now. I firmly believe that humans have to have some hardship and suffering in their lives. If not you end up with this mess of a world that we have today. History is just repeating itself once again.
 
If history was taught that way, I probably would have learned it instead of ignoring it in class.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
I wish those men of vision and dedication to this nation were among us today.

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There are some, some meaning less than a few...
 
It wouldn't be signed today.
Today it would have to be looked at by about 10,000 lawyers. Environmental groups would block it. Judges would rule it unconstitutional. And in California, the signing of it would cause cancer.
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: tom slick
Why is the 4th of July the only date referred to as a holiday? It's Independence Day, but most call it "4th of July".
They really should have called it the 2nd of July, the actual date independence was declared.
wink.gif



But the actual declaration was not adopted and approved until the 4th.

It also wasn't signed by most of those folks until August, so the 4th is as good a date as any.
 
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