July 2021
This month we asked our students to reflect upon the fate of 4 of 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 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 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 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 never told you a lot about 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 this year while enjoying 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, and the Fourth of July has more to it than parades, beer, picnics, and baseball games.
Thomas McKean, American man
McKenna Snow
Class of 2024
I like to think of myself as a fantastic multitasker, a pretty decent writer, and a patriot. I come from a big family, have moved to various states throughout my childhood, and I like wearing big hats like the ones you see at the Kentucky Derby.
Initially, I had no idea I had so much in common with Thomas McKean, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence; his last name even starts with the first four letters of my first name. And like me, McKean was a patriot, a writer, and someone who spent a lot of time on the road.
McKean did not just have one occupation in the world of politics and law; he was a lawyer, judge, governor of Pennsylvania, jurist, statesman, Governor of Delaware, Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, and also served as a colonel in the Revolutionary War.
Born in 1734 in Pennsylvania, Thomas McKean was one of seven siblings (just like me!). When McKean was sixteen, he had the opportunity to study law in Delaware with his cousin. Six years later, he became Deputy Attorney General to County Sussex, and the next year was admitted to the bar of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and appointed Clerk of the Assembly of Delaware. In 1762, he became a member of the Delaware Assembly, on which he served until 1779.
According to the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, "by the time he reached his majority Thomas McKean was over six feet tall. Frequently he was seen wearing a large cocked hat, fashionable at the time, and was never without his gold-headed cane. It is said that he had a quick temper and a vigorous personality. He had a thin face, hawk’s nose and his eyes would be described by some as ‘hot’. Some wondered at his popularity with his clients as he was known for a ‘loft and often tactless manner that antagonized many people.’ He tended to be, what some might describe as a loner, seldom mixing with others, except on public occasions." I find it ironic that he had such an active political life, and yet didn’t seem to be much of a "people person."
Shortly after becoming a member of the Delaware Assembly, McKean married Mary Borden. They had six children together, named Joseph, Robert, Elizabeth, Letitia, Mary, and Anne. Following the death of his wife in 1773, McKean remarried in 1774 to Sarah Armitage. They had five children together, the firstborn who was not named, then Thomas Jr., Sarah, Sophia, and Mary. After marrying Sarah, McKean wanted to involve himself more in the independence that America was striving toward, and moved from Delaware to Pennsylvania to be a member of the Continental Congress. During this time he simultaneously was a part of Delaware and Pennsylvanian politics, and played a role in writing both of their state constitutions.
McKean was a staunch supporter of independence from the British. He directly fought in the war, leading as a colonel and embellishing his patriotism to a literal, quite visible level. He was an eloquent speaker and writer, and played a role in wording the official Declaration of Independence. He signed it when it was finally finished—and then had to live a life on the run with his large family from the British. He is said to have moved five times in three months to escape their reaches. He was later able to settle down to continue his law work and finally retired from the public circle in 1812.
Thomas McKean has largely been forgotten by the celebrators of the Fourth of July. He’s hardly a part of enthusiastic conversations—if he’s a part of them at all—about the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t accomplish anything. That doesn’t mean he never played a role in his community, and in his country, to make it a better place for its citizens. In truth, McKean had a huge impact on the Declaration itself, fought for American independence, and impacted the Delaware and Pennsylvanian Constitutions. He dedicated so much of his life to integrity, patriotism, independence, eloquence in speech, and living for just causes.
Maybe, in some ways, I’ll be like him. I’ve already got a head-start on some of the similarities, like writing, liking hats, multitasking, patriotism, and caring deeply for my community. And like McKean, it’s unlikely that my writings will ever be "famous", or widely known. I can’t say for sure, but maybe my name will be around two hundred years from now, perhaps in a newspaper highlighted by some college kid like me who’s doing a story on twenty-first century Catholic theologians (that’s what I’m striving to be, anyhow). It’s unlikely my name will be big and famous and recognizable by anybody and everybody. And it’s also very, very unlikely that, even if I do some great deed right now, I’ll get my image carved onto a mountainside, like Washington did and McKean didn’t. These things tend to happen much more often than we think—good people doing great things, and never getting recognition for it the way others have received.
I wonder if a reader of this article is famous and widely known, like Washington, or if they are more like me and McKean, well-intentioned, caring for our communities, multitasking to get all our daily work done, and wanting to use our talents well with the time we have, even if we don’t get major recognition for it. If you’re more like the former, that’s pretty cool to have you reading my work, and thank you for doing so. And if you’re the latter, then I’m quite honored to have you reading my work. Your efforts in this country to make it a better place for all never go truly unnoticed. Keep doing those things for your neighbors—the small, the little, the "insignificant" but kind and caring things. After all, America is composed of a million "insignificant" moments that all amount to certain kinds of greatness—it is the greatness of our souls, our character, and our nation.
Read other articles by McKenna Snow
Party of fifty-six
Emmy Jansen
Class of 2023
Washington, D.C. is my favorite place to visit, and I frequented it often as a kid. Even now that my college is so close to its limits, I have walked the length of the National Mall, climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and stood at the base of the Washington Monument more times than I can count. I’ve picnicked in front of the Capitol building, jumped from state to state in the World War II memorial, and dipped my toes in the reflecting pool. Yet, I did not know of the existence of the Signers Island or the memorial dedicated to each of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This shows how expansive our history is, even as a young country. No matter how deep you delve, you can always dive deeper.
Thomas Nelson Jr.’s name might not incite a feeling of patriotism and respect in a young American’s heart like the names of the other Founding Fathers, but it should. When George Washington and Thomas Jefferson rose to higher positions of power during the Independence Movement, it was Thomas Nelson who was left in charge of safeguarding the Virginia colony. During the war, Virginia was the scene of much of the fighting action, with British invasion causing a perpetual state of emergency until after the Battle of Yorktown. But by filling Washington’s seat in the Continental Congress and succeeding Jefferson as Governor of Virginia, Nelson led the Virginia militia in defense of his home territory and towards the independence he knew the colonies deserved. When he joined Washington and Rochambeau in Yorktown, his hometown, for the last stand against the British, General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson Manor and was using it as the British
headquarters. Legend states that Nelson gave the order for the militia to fire on his own home, offering money to the soldier who hit it first.
Leading the soon-to-be Commonwealth and fighting in the war took more from Nelson than just his home. Shortly after the war had ended, Nelson resigned as governor due to poor health. He was left in serious debt, having taken out personal loans to pay for the war effort that were never repaid by the state. He died poor at fifty years old in Hanover, Virginia with eleven children and little of his legacy being taught today. When he died, he was buried in an unmarked grave so that those he owed debts to would not be able to hold his body as collateral. This man dedicated his life and death to the country he believed in that still exists today because of the efforts and sacrifices he made. He doesn’t have much in terms of memorialization: a community college, a county in Virginia, a high school in Kentucky. That is nothing compared to the accolades and legacies attributed to the few Founders who have received the most acclaim. But the list of
honors and dedications does not define the person. He committed the same treason and risked the same punishments as Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Madison. Had the revolution been lost, they would have died the same deaths.
When these men put their John Hancock’s on that document, it was a feat deserving of commendation. A memorial with their names and the colonies they represented does not do justice to the force behind their action. Simply signing their name on a piece of parchment was a radical action.
Because of the changing tides of international relations within our lifetimes, we are disconnected from the original independence movement. I traveled to the United Kingdom during high school and I watched the royal weddings of Prince William and Prince Harry just like everyone else. But a war was fought so that those royals were not our royals, for that kingdom to not be our kingdom. Would Washington be proud of the country he helped create if he saw the way Americans ate up British tabloid news? More importantly, would Nelson?
It can be hard for us to imagine why the signers felt so strongly about this one, small document. We did not experience the tyranny that is described in its ink. In a tribute given at Nelson’s funeral, the speaker repeated "liberty" and "freedom" as ideals and virtues that Nelson valued above all else. So did the other fifty-five signers. It was for our liberty and freedom that Nelson signed his name, served as governor, and fired upon his own house. You may not know him, but the funeral orator felt that you should: "His life was gentle: and the elements so mixed in him, that nature might stand up and say to all the world—this was a man." Another word frequently mentioned in the tribute is "patriot". I wish that word was not monopolized by a football franchise but utilized for that American identity that those signers wielded it for.
In a world of globalization, we love learning about other cultures. We love feeling connected to the seven billion souls that reside on this planet. We travel abroad. We try different cuisines. We watch foreign films and shows. America has always been a melting pot, and proud of it, but that makes it difficult to define what the American culture truly is. These men sacrificed their livelihoods and committed treason so that we could be American. Our role in the revolution is to define what that word truly means. I am not a French-American. I’m not a Catholic-American. I’m an American. For me, that is enough.
Two hundred years isn’t a very long time, especially compared to European empires with buildings still standing that are older than our Constitution. Yet the youth of our country does not speak to the current successes and the potential greatness that resides within our borders. Look at what we’ve done since the signing of the Declaration. Watch what we do next.
Thomas Nelson Jr. is one of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence. He has long since been forgotten. But I will never forget him.
Read other articles by Emmy Jansen
The influence of restraint
Harry Scherer
Class of 2022
Of the 56 signatories of the Declaration of Independence, one that is largely forgotten in typical historical remembrance is Edward Rutledge. Born in South Carolina, Rutledge would go on to serve his country as a voice of moderation inspired by his Oxford-trained legal mind. At the age of 26, Rutledge was the youngest signer of the Declaration.
The young aristocrat gained his position on the national political stage with one of his first legal cases. According to the South Carolina Encyclopedia, Rutledge was involved in a case in 1773 that "involved a successful habeas corpus petition that freed a printer jailed for contempt by the upper house of assembly." Rutledge’s involvement in this legal recourse regarding unlawful detention was pragmatically beneficial for his political career. The next year, he was elected to the Continental Congress.
From the perspective of historians, Rutledge is known for his intellectual development on the issue of national independence. At first, according to the state’s encyclopedia, he began his tenure hoping "to achieve a settlement with Britain that would preserve colonial rights within the British Empire." The start of the war and the more openly antagonistic relationship that was developing between the colonies and the British motivated Rutledge to become more radical on the issue.
Even after his interior assent to the profound act of eventually declaring independence, Rutledge became a voice in the Congress for careful, moderate restraint in lieu of quick, revolutionary extremes. Rutledge thought that "the colonies should first agree on a confederation and secure foreign aid" before implicating the entire people in the rebellious act. This move for moderation was overridden by the zealous impulse of the people made clear by the political trends in the Continental Congress. "For the sake of unanimity," Rutledge encouraged his Carolinian confreres to move forward with the official declaration from British rule.
This concession to the majority indicates that Rutledge was capable of putting the national interest before his own. In order to preserve the rhetorical force of the Continental Congress, Rutledge dismissed his former adherence to potentially unachievable ideals in favor of a patriotic alliance with the radical act that he knew had to take place for the civic health of his people. Critics of Rutledge might suggest that he merely took the advice of Rousseau and submitted to the general will of the Congress. While my knowledge of Rutledge is admittedly limited, I would suggest that his prudential shift from ideal to practice indicates a sort of learning curve for the maturing statesman. As a representative of his constituents, he was charged with securing the good of the colonies, not the fulfillment of his every desire.
After this indication of political maturity, Rutledge oscillated between the legislature and the battlefields. He served in the state legislature, the Congress, and as a captain in the Charleston Artillery. While serving in this military role, Rutledge found himself as a prisoner of war on parole when the British captured Charleston in 1780. That same year, Rutledge was arrested and held prisoner in St. Augustine, Florida as the result of a false accusation that he and some of his partners were planning a resistance against the British. In an unfortunate irony, his capture and time in prison was made possible in part because of the lack of foreign aid in the States before the colonies officially declared independence from the Crown. Because the moderation that Rutledge sought was not heeded, the British were more capable of gaining ground on colonial soil.
In July of 1781, Rutledge was released by exchange and worked for thirteen years in the South Carolina House of Representatives. During that time, he tirelessly worked for the economic recovery of the state and on the typical political and monetary issues relevant to those statesmen charged with building a new state and nation from the ground up.
Over the years, he became known for his ability to concede with his political opponents and for his love of the nation. George Washington asked him twice to serve on the Supreme Court and also asked that he serve as the secretary of state and as the minister to France. In all of these occasions, Rutledge’s family responsibilities precluded him from taking such an active role on the national stage. He was content with serving the people of South Carolina and confirming the sort of principles that he and his compatriots fought for in the legislature and on the battlefield. His national influence materialized through the personal relationships that he had developed over the years, gaining the trust of Carolinians and their citizens across the nation. All of these anecdotes make clear to me that Rutledge was a master of strategy and that he had a keen eye for political pragmatism.
Throughout his years in the legislature, Rutledge developed a "mistrust of unbridled republicanism," which according to the National Park Service "reinforced his conservatism and brought him into the Federalist Party." Rutledge was clear about his intellectual convictions but measured and calculated in the practical implementation of those convictions. He found in the Federalist Party a political coalition that sought to conserve some of the conservative principles that inspired the Founders and the government that they formed. It is worth noting that the more time Rutledge spent in political service, the less attentive he became to the republican impulse of the people; depending on what one tends to emphasize, this observation could serve as either a confirmation or repudiation of the democratic-republican system that was instituted by the Founders. After his alliance to this party, he was elected governor of South Carolina in 1798 and
died after suffering a stroke in early 1800.
Even though his name is typically not uttered in the average elementary history class, Edward Rutledge deserves recognition as a master statesman and a skilled political thinker. While his memory has not been preserved with popular recognition, his legacy has been secured because of the impact of restraint.
Read other articles by Harry Scherer
Honest John
Angela Guiao
Class of 2021
On August 2, 1776, 56 men gathered together and signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring the 13 American colonies separate from Great Britain. Among those 56 men were some of the most influential figures of the time: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. Although, there were a great number of men whose job was equally as important. In fact, there is one man in particular who deserves to be recognized. He was a farmer and an influential politician who held office for the great state of New Jersey: Honest John, also known as John Hart.
John Hart was born in the early 1700’s, though historians are not sure where and when exactly he was born. His father, Captain Edward Hart, was a Justice of the Peace, but also a farmer, local militia leader, and public accessor.
John found success in farming. In 1740, he bought 193 acres of land in his hometown of Hopewell, New Jersey. He officially became one of the largest landowners in Hopewell a few years later, in the 1770’s, when he bought over 600 acres of more land. He also co-purchased a mill with his brother and another mill with his son-in-law. In 1747, John donated some of his land to the Baptists as funding for a new church and cemetery, and it is currently where he and his wife lay to rest.
The first time John Hart was elected to public service was in 1750 when he joined the Hunterdon County New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders. Soon after, in 1755, he became the Justice of the Peace. John Hart represented Hunterdon, Morris, and Sussex counties on the Colonial Assembly from 1761 to 1771. And afterwards, he was elected to the Court of Common Pleas in 1768. This was followed by several more appointments, including the New Jersey Committee of Correspondence, the Committee of Safety, and the New Jersey Provincial congress. But it was when he was appointed to sign the Bill of Credit notes that issued money from New Jersey that he earned the name Honest John, as he had signed each note by himself for a grand total of 25,000.
In 1776, New Jersey decided to replace the delegation in the First Continental Congress, as most of those appointed to it were opposed to independence from Britain. John Hart was one of the those chosen to replace the original delegation, creating the Second Continental Congress. He was able to join just in time for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Afterwards, John Hart was chosen as the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly. Eventually, he also acted as the Treasurer of the Council of Safety, President of the Joint Meetings of the New Jersey Congress, and the Commissioner of the State Loan Office.
In 1776, John Hart’s wife, Deborah Scudder passed away, leaving him behind along with their twelve children. They originally had thirteen children, but one of their daughters passed away at birth. It is said that when John courted his wife, he would ride his horse about 30 miles round trip in order to see her. They eventually got married in 1739. Deborah Scudder is said to be the great-granddaughter of John Scudder, one of the original pilgrims to arrive on the James ship in 1635 from England.
In the same year that John’s wife passed away, the British took over New Jersey. This forced John into hiding. His status as Speaker of the Assembly made him a desired target. He hid anywhere he could, including the woods, caves, and the Sourwood mountains. He was eventually able to return home when the Americans won the battle in Trenton on December 26.
From June 22, 1778 to June 24, 1778, General George Washington, the first President of the United States, and the Continental Army camped at John Hart’s farm. Washington had accepted an invitation that John sent a few days before the Battle of Monmouth, an important battle that ended in a victory. 12,000 men camped on his land, and it was said George Washington even joined him for dinner.
On May 11, 1779, John Hart passed away. He died of kidney stones from which he suffered for a very long time before finally being laid to rest. Despite his success on his farm, he died with a great amount of debt and his land was sold much less than it was worth. His obituary was published on May 19, 1779 in the New Jersey Gazette where they stated, "The universal approbation of his character and conduct among all ranks of people, is the best testimony of his worth, and as it must make his death regretted and lamented, will ensure lasting respect to his memory." A fellow signer named Benjamin Rush said of John when he passed, "[John was] a plain, honest, well-meaning Jersey farmer, with but little education, but with good sense and virtue enough to pursue the true interests of his country".
John Hart is the perfect representation of the American people at the time. He had little education, like most men of the time, but loved his country. While he was not very skilled at writing, he was well read and ambitious. He worked hard for everything he had, and he proved himself worthy enough to stand alongside the likes of our founding fathers. Without him, the Declaration of Independence would not have passed, and America would never had grown into the country that it is today.
While it is easy to focus only on the famous signers of the Declaration, we must not forget the lives led and stories of all the signers that made our independence a reality. Honest John believed in the strength of America. He believed in the greatness of our country and trusted that we would be able to stand on our own two feet. He devoted his life to serving our government and our people, and despite his lack of formal education, he had a deep understanding of our nation’s laws and regulations. He was an inspiring man, and his story should not be forgotten.
Read other articles by Angela Guiao
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