Happy Independence Day!

[ConchRepublican]

Happy Independence Day to all the American Maniacs in the Forum!

May have have the same number of fingers tomorrow as you did yesterday!!

[NotthatRick]

Same to you Conch. Happy Independence Day!!

[ConchRepublican]

For those interested ....

What happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence?

This is the Price They Paid

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 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 or both, looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, 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. The owner 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 home 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, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: “For the support of this 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.”

https://michaelwsmith.com/the-sacrifice ... n-signers/

[80s Big Hair]

A few days ago a lost copy of the Declaration of Independence was auctioned off for about $4.5 M. In the early 1820s John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State, had them commissioned to be given to the surviving signors. They were printed on vellum using the original (copper?) plate. This copy was found in the Scottish attic of one of the signor's ancestral home. I think the signor's name was Carrol or something similar (never heard of him). The last time I was in my attic all I discovered was extreme heat and humidity. For more information, a news search of "Declaration of Independence Scotland" I imagine will pull up all sorts of stories.

But enjoy Independence Day. I am not doing much this year as my family is up on the rez. I will drink American beer while I patriotically do some laundry though and I am flying the flag. I also have some fireworks laying about somewhere that I might set off if doing laundry proves to not be as entertaining as it sounds. Have fun.

[MikeS]

I hope all had a blessed time, it came at a cost.

"... To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

United States Declaration of Independence

Lest we forget it!

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Great post, Conch! A hefty price indeed!

[T.Q.]

No happy Canada Day on the 1st?

This is outrageous. OUTRAGEOUS!

Hope all my American friends here had a great 4th of July and no one got their fingers blown off by a cherry bomb.

[Little Garwood]

Happy Independence Day to my fellow American Magnum Maniacs.

[Pahonu]

No happy Canada Day on the 1st?

This is outrageous. OUTRAGEOUS!

Hope all my American friends here had a great 4th of July and no one got their fingers blown off by a cherry bomb.

Happy Canada Day TQ!
Also Styles, and any other of our Canadian members.

[80s Big Hair]

I plan on going to a celebration at my little cousin's place this year and I bought fireworks specifically for the occasion (as opposed to just grabbing whatever everyday fireworks I have on hand). Since I do not recall what I bought (other than a 100 shot Saturn Missile Battery), it will be pleasant to open up the big bag o' fun and rediscover the contents. What is in it? It must be good stuff or else I would not have bought it. One hitch in the scheme is that it is supposed to rain that day and I am not going to stand out in the rain lighting fireworks. Oh, and this is important: In their haste to get out of the no fun state of Illinois my immediate family backed the truck into my poor Volvo smashing what I would call the front driver side blinker lens, but is actually called a turn signal assembly as I found out. If I do not receive and install it by Monday, is it OK to drive in the rain with the light bulb exposed or should I tape plastic over it? I imagine how it happened was the family was all amped up yelling things like, "So long, Suck State!" The driver probably pealed out of the garage in the excitement and hit the Volvo parked in the driveway. But they did not notice as they were intent on getting to Wisconsin by any means necessary. Well, it probably did not happen like that, but I would like to believe that is what happened. Really, will I mess up the already wonky electrics in the Volvo if I drive in the rain with an exposed blinker?

[MikeS]

A day-long reminder of what has now become our Sad Dependence thru Coercion

Make Americans Free Again!

[T.Q.]

No happy Canada Day on the 1st?

This is outrageous. OUTRAGEOUS!

Hope all my American friends here had a great 4th of July and no one got their fingers blown off by a cherry bomb.

Happy Canada Day TQ!
Also Styles, and any other of our Canadian members.

Thanks P.

Happy Canada Day to fellow Canucks.

Happy 4th to our American friends.

[80s Big Hair]

My Independence Day plans outlined above went to heck. "No plan survives contact with the enemy." The part I needed for the Volvo arrived very quickly which was a really nice surprise. Upon attempting to install it I found that opening the hood is now a two person operation because of course it now is. I am but one man. I just need someone to put pressure on the hood while I pull the hood release. Remember, my family fled to Wisconsin after smashing into the poor Volvo so I am on my own. Then the Independence Day plans at one of my little cousin's place were axed for some unknown reason (I was going to get someone there to spend 30 seconds to pop my hood). So I have all these fireworks now (not really a problem) and my car is still broken.

I will get over it. I hope you guys and gals all had fun, even you Canadian ones that celebrated being more autonomous from Britain or whatever Canada Day is. This comes off as "Woe is me" but I am a happy-go-lucky type and laugh at these minor things.