Courage

America, Born to be Free…

July 4, 2011 /

Written by Jimmie Burroughs

America was born to be free on that 4th of July 1776. The brave 56 men who signed the constitution pledged their honor, their lives, their property and their fortunes to honor a new Free America. Their desire to live as free men was stronger than their desire to live. The constitution of the United States of America was a declaration to be free at all cost and it did cost and has continued to cost in the terms of tens of thousands of lives.

The 56 signers of the declaration of independence were British subjects at the time and by signing the constitution they were declaring the overthrow of the then ruling British government. If caught they were subject to be hanged for treason.

The price they paid:

  • Thomas Nelson served as a colonel in the Second Virginia Regiment.
  • William Whipple served with the New Hampshire militia.
  • Oliver Wolcott led the Connecticut regiments.
  • Caesar Rodney served as a Major General in the Delaware militia.
  • John Hancock was a Major General in the Massachusetts militia.
  • The British captured five signers during the war.
  • Colonel George Walton was wounded at the Battle of Savannah and captured by the British.
  • During the siege of Charleston, Captains Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, and Arthur Middleton were all captured.
  • In 1780, Thomas Lynch of South Carolina was arrested and held prisoner on board a British ship for a year.
  • The British swept Carter Braxton’s ships from the seas; he wound up losing everything.
  • General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson’s home for British headquarters.
  • The home and properties of Francis Lewis were destroyed.
  • The homes and property of eleven signers were destroyed.
  • As his wife was dying, John Hart was driven from her bedside and their 13 children fled to save their lives.
  • Morris and Livingston lost their families.
  • The two sons of Abraham Clark of New Jersey were captured by the British during the war.
  • At the Battle of Germantown,  John Witherspoon’s two sons were killed.

Their homes and property was destroyed, they fought and some gave their lives to preserve the new found freedom of America.

What kind of men were they?

  • Twenty-two were lawyers
  • Nine were judges
  • Stephen Hopkins was one time Governor of Rhode Island
  • Eighteen were merchants or businessmen
  • 14 were farmers
  • Four were medical doctors
  • Two were clergy
  • 42 served in their States legislature
  • Seven attended Harvard
  • Four at Yale and William & Mary
  • Three at Princeton
  • John Witherspoon was president of Princeton
  • George Wythe was professor at William & Mary
  • Nine were immigrants

They put their lives on the line to preserve the country they loved.

After the Revolution:

  • 13 of the signers became governors.
  • 18 served as state legislatures.
  • Sixteen were state and federal judges.
  • Seven were members of the United States House of Representatives.
  • Six were United States Senators.
  • James Wilson and Samuel Chase were Justices of the United States Supreme Court.
  • Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Elbridge Gerry each were Vice Presidents.
  • John Adams and Thomas Jefferson became the President of the United States.
  • John Adams and Benjamin Harrison. the sons of signers,America  also became Presidents.

America, Born to be Free…But Freedom is never free!

I have great confidence in the progress you are going to make.

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