The story of the hardships of many of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Every American should remember the most famous passage of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words changed the world.
However, for the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence, the last sentence was assuredly on their minds before they affixed their signatures to the bottom of the document: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Every one of these men was committing treason against the British king. The punishment for treason was death.
While many Americans are familiar with names such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Hancock, and possibly Samuel Adams, most Americans probably could not name another signer of the Declaration of Independence. Every one of the fifty-six signers deserves their story to be told because many of these men endured hardships and sacrifices during the Revolutionary War and beyond that more Americans should know about.
It was legendary radio personality Paul Harvey, whose catchphrase was “and now for the rest of the story,” who discussed the plight of many of the Declaration’s signers during a broadcast given on July 4, 1974.
Below is Paul Harvey’s video (less than 10 minutes). All Americans should watch it:
Most prominent historical figures have details about their lives questioned and reconsidered, especially with the passage of time. The Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration are no exception.
Some historians question, mostly minor, aspects of Harvey’s accounts of a few of the men he discusses. For instance, Carter Braxton of Virginia did in fact lose much of his fortune but there is some dispute that he “died in rags.” The harrowing experience of John Hart of New Jersey did indeed occur, but some historians dispute the length of time Hart was hiding in forests and caves. Some believe it might have been closer to a month instead of a year.
Historians sometimes make the additional argument that while many of these signers endured hardships, these were not because of their status as signers of the Declaration but rather because of the normal tragic events that occur in any war. This was not the case for Richard Stockton of New Jersey. Stockton’s properties, as well as Stockton himself, were specifically targeted because he signed the Declaration. British Loyalists recognized and captured him in the middle of the night.
It is a fact that three signers from South Carolina, Thomas Heyward, Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge, served in their state’s militia and were captured after the city of Charleston fell to the British in 1780. However, it is disputed that they received worse treatment than other prisoners during their year in prison.
What is not in dispute is that most of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence were wealthy men who, in Paul Harvey’s words, “had everything to lose.” They risked it all because, as Harvey further states, “they learned liberty is so much more important than security.”
John Witherspoon of New Jersey was a Presbyterian minister who was also the president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He lost his son James during the Battle of Germantown in 1777.
Abraham Clark of New Jersey knew the serious situation he found himself, saying shortly after signing, “Perhaps our Congress will be exalted on a high gallows…I assure you, Sir, I see, I feel, the danger we are in.” Two of Clark’s sons, Aaron and Thomas, were captured by the British.
Robert Morris of Pennsylvania is a name that Americans should more widely recognize. He was absent from the vote for independence on July 2, 1776, because he was not ready to see the colonies separate from Great Britain, but he later changed his mind and signed the Declaration of Independence.
Nobody was more instrumental in the financing of the Revolutionary War than Morris. Whether it was securing funds through foreign governments and contacts with business associates, securing loans in his own name, or contributing his own cash to the cause of independence, Morris did all he could to fund the war effort.
Morris was one of only six men, along with fellow Pennsylvania delegates Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, and George Clymer, and with Roger Sherman of Connecticut and George Reed of Delaware, to sign both the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787. Later in life, Robert Morris spent three and half years in debtors’ prison after defaulting on multiple loans. He was visited in prison by George Washington, who understood and appreciated Morris’ role in keeping the Continental Army financed and supplied when the men of Washington’s army were close to their breaking point.
John Morton of Pennsylvania was a crucial vote in favor of independence in a divided Pennsylvania delegation. Without his vote, Pennsylvania might have been the only state to vote against independence on July 2, 1776. Morton has the unfortunate distinction of being the first of the fifty-six signers to die, doing so because of an illness in April 1777.
At the time of Morton’s death, the prospect of an independent United States of America seemed doubtful at best. The Continental Army had suffered multiple defeats and was on the run against the mighty British army and navy.
Yet, despite knowing this, John Morton dictated a message on his deathbed to Pennsylvanians angered at his vote in favor of independence, reading in part, “that they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge it to have been the most glorious service I ever rendered to my country.” How correct his words proved to be.
Compare this to Charles Carroll of Maryland, who was the last signer to die in 1832 at the age of 95. Carroll witnessed the United States of America functioning as a constitutional republic with twenty-four states instead of thirteen colonies and saw presidential administrations through our seventh president, Andrew Jackson. It is doubtful that Carroll’s grandest vision for the future of the thirteen American colonies he knew in 1776 could have matched the reality of what he saw the United States become by 1832.
With the passage of time, it has become more common for some Americans to dismiss the accomplishments of the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence. These men must never be forgotten, nor have their place in history diminished.
How many of us could sign our name to a document knowing it could result in our own death? Had American Patriots lost the Revolutionary War, a war all reason suggested they should lose, many of our great Founding Fathers could have met their end on British gallows. Our founding generation’s sacrifice, fortitude, and “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence” prevented this from happening.
The Founding Fathers were not perfect men, but they were undoubtedly brave men who acted with a clear purpose to change the world. Make no mistake about it, this is precisely what they did. All Americans and many people worldwide, inspired to follow the American example, live in freedom because of their actions. This needs to be appreciated and never taken for granted.
We need to celebrate our Founding Fathers and the country they founded, not just for one day but every day.
The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:
Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton
Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton
Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton
Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean
Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark
Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton
Recommended Reading: Signing Their Lives Away by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese
Very informative. Never really thought about their sacrifices