What Happened To The 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 the Declaration, pledging 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 Br
