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. A dozen has their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary War and another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they? Two dozen were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means and well educated. They signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that he penalty would be death if they were captured.

Crater Brixton, 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 McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge and Middleton. At the Battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The British jailed his wife and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his grist mill were laid waste. For more than a year, he lived in forests and caves, to return home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your Fourth of July holiday and silently reflect on these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.

Crash Williams is a member of the Mercer Island Rotary Club.