The answer to this question was discussed in an article by Joseph Lord in the Epoch Times July 8-14 issue. Some of the key figures in American history were serving in the military, so were not among the signers. This included Washinton, Hamilton, and Madison. “None of the 56 signers died as a result of his signature and none of them ever renounced the cause of independence of this own free will.”
Herre are a few of the signers and what each faced.
…..Thomas Jefferson was nearly captured by the British while governor of Virginia. He was forced to flee from his Monticello estate.
…..Ben Franklin served as an ambassador to France and was lead negotiator on the deal to end the war with Great Britain.
…..John Adams was nearly captured by the British warships while leaving on a diplomatic mission for Paris with his son. He took up a musket to fight the British vessels; however, it was by skillful navigating and a storm that helped them to escape the British.
A side note: Adams and Jefferson both died on 4 July 1826, 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Ben Franklin passed away in 1790.
…..Five of the signers were captured before the was over. One was George Walton. He was wounded and captured during the battle of Savannah. He survived months of British imprisonment and was eventually freed.
…..During the Battle of Charleston, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Ruthledge were taken prisoners. They survived months of captivity at St. Augustine, Florida.
…..Richard Henry Lee was one of 12 signers who faced military attacks on his property, plus suffering a severe hit to his finances, being involved in the international shipping and tobacco trade.
…..Francis Lewis had his property destroyed by the British and they captured his wife during the attack. She was held in captivity for months and was ultimately freed under a prisoner exchange negotiated by Washington.
…..Signers William Floyd, Philip Livingston, and Lewis Morris had their estates used as barracks and stables by the British during the war.
…..John Hancock is best known for being the first to sign the Declaration of Independence in large letters. In fact, he was the only person who actually signed the document on 4 July 1776. Several of his properties were destroyed or occupied by the British. He spent almost half of his personal wealth to finance the cause for independence.
…..Signer John Hart from New Jersey was forced to flee from his home, and his wife’s deathbed, when Hessian troops attacked his farm and mills.
…..Caesar Rodney, although not well known, played an import part. He rode 80 miles to Philadelphia while suffering from facial cancer to cast a tie-breaking vote for Delaware’s delegation in favor of independence.
Reading about the signers and what they endured: 5 signers captured, 12 signers had their homes destroyed, and 17 signers losing their entire fortunes, made me wonder about today. Do our citizens love this country enough to endure what these signers did? What can we do to bring back this kind of loyalty to America?