HEROES OF LIBERTY - SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Friday marks the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our great Nation. On that summers day in 1776, fifty six American heroes and patriots pledged, " to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." The very moment they affixed their signature to this now sacred document each of these American heroes became fugitives from the British Crown.

Their love of liberty and their quest for freedom from tyranny, by British law, made the signing of the Declaration an act of treason against the Crown and as such each man placed his very life on the line to give birth to this Nation and claim and fight for independence.

This pledge that was made as documented in the last sentence of the Declaration was not an idle pledge nor an easy one to make by any of those who made it that day. They knew that in that signing and the fact that the document would be made public to announce the American independence from British rule, each of them would face hardship and possibly death as the instigators of treason in their quest for freedom.

What happened to these brave men who gave birth to this Nation ? To read a full biography of each, click here. What then did each of these Founders of American Liberty sacrifice in fulfillment of their sacred pledge of honor to each other in the Declaration ?

Five were captured by the British. Twelve had their homes and properties burned. Four lost their sons in the War. Nine fought and some died in the Revolution. Each man sacrificed much to fulfill that pledge. Who were these patriots who sacrifice so much for their beliefs and principles ?
Twenty four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers or large plantation owners. But each signed the Declaration knowing full well that if captured they would face a death sentence for treason.

Here are just a few examples of what the Heroes of Liberty sacrificed to give birth to this land the we love.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy plantation owner and trader saw his ships captured and sunk by the British. He eventually had to sell all of his property to pay his debts.

Thomas McKeam was hounded by the British and was forced to move his family constantly to protect them. He served in the Continental Congress without pay while his family was kept in hiding.

Ellery, Qwinnett, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Heyward, Rutledge and Middleton all had their property ransacked and looted by the British.

Thomas Nelson at the battle of Yorktown, while fighting for the Continental Army found his home has been confiscated as the headquarters for British General Lord Cornwallis. His home was destroyed in the fight.

Francis Lewis had his home and property destroyed by the British. They jailed his wife and she died in prison a few months later.

John Hart was driven from his home by the British as his wife lay dying of sickness. His 13 children were also forced to flee. He lived in caves and forests to avoid capture and returned home to find his wife dead and his children gone.

Their sacrifice gave us a Nation of liberty. Their pledge fulfilled provided freedom for generations of Americans. Their honor held fast to the principles of freedom so that we throughout our history could bask in the light of Liberty.

Fifty six brave men who pledged and sacrificed, " their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor, " to insure that The United States of America would find birth as a free Nation where everyone who was born here or found their way to our shores and became citizens seeking freedom could find that freedom and live in the hope and light of liberty.

As each of us celebrate our independence on this Fourth of July Holiday with our families and friends cooking out, traveling to visit loved ones or theme parks. Let us not forget to remember in thanksgiving the fifty six who sacrificed their all to give birth to our Nation.

Let us not forget to remember the other heroes of the Revolution who fought against the tyranny of the Crown for the birth of freedom in the Revolutionary War where George Washington's leadership brought final victory for the birth of our land.

And let us not forget to remember in thanksgiving the thousands who have sacrificed at places like Gettysburg, Flanders, Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor, Inchon, Hamburger Hill, Hanoi, Kuwait, Fallujah and hundreds more fields of battle where Americans have given the , "last full measure," to insure that the freedoms given by our Founders would continue for generations.

Let us also not forget to remember in thanksgiving those who sacrifice daily that wear the uniform of the United States Military that are at this moment standing a post to protect our liberty. God Bless those who have sacrificed their all and who continue to sacrifice in service today and God Bless America.

Ken Taylor