Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
As I have been searching the 1700's for any trace of an ancestor, I have become accutely aware of our history, of our battles for freedom and what it cost our family. As I rubbed elbows with the President's Adams and Washington, also Aaron Burr, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin and even Roger Williams, I have lived, more than once, the signing of petitions, declarations and peace treaties.
I have read the stories of all the wars our ancestors participated in, not only for their new country, but for their lives, the lives of their family and the land on which they hoped to make new futures. Whether against the Indians, the French, the British,or each other, the goal was always the same. Freedom! I have read their stories of religious oppression in their new country and the fight to free themselves to speak, think, worship and live as they chose, not as a body of men, a king, or a state, told them they must.
While their stories and their paths have been painful, there has been a growing pride within me, not only for my Covey Family, but for the oh so many who joined them from across the sea, in this new land they wanted so badly to belong to. This new land they just knew would give them shelter, protection and yes, eventually, freedom.
I guess that is why when this appeared in my e-mail yesterday, I want to share it with you all. Not only do I understand America better today than I ever have, because of my Covey ancestors, I understand the value of what went before. It is no longer history in a text book, or on a movie or TV screen. It is real and many, many of our ancestors made it possible. What a gift they gave us.
*********************************************************
"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 and they pledged 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 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, Gwinett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., knew 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 enemy 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 gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall and straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of the declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books told you a lot of what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So take a few minutes while remembering your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: Freedom is never free! I hope you show your support by sharing this with as many people as you can. Patriotism is NOT a sin. Freedom and the Fourth of July is more than beer, picnics, and baseball games. "
~Author Unknown~
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/va/messages/32106.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|