Our Founders signed Declaration of Independence 250 years ago today — would you have done the same?
(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
It’s August 2, 1776, the day most delegates to the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence that was adopted on July 4th.
Would you have signed?
In Independence Hall, John Hancock led with his bold signature. Eventually, 56 men affixed their names. Men of property, learning, and standing, they all knew the risks. High treason was punishable by hanging, drawing and quartering. The hall was solemn. Benjamin Franklin captured the moment: “We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
They were right to fear. The signers paid dearly. Five were captured by the British. Even wives and families faced imprisonment, torture, and death. Some fled, others lost their estates funding the war. A third — including all four from New York — saw their homes confiscated, pillaged, or burned to the ground. Long Island’s Francis Lewis was ruined financially and died poor; his wife endured brutal imprisonment and died soon after release.
Continue reading the entire piece here at The New York Post
______________________
Wai Wah Chin an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute.