Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor (article) by Susan K. Smith on AuthorsDen

The signers were prosperous men, with everything to lose. But they considered liberty much more important than security.

Independence Day/everystockphoto.com

Did George Washington sign the Declaration of Independence?

Short answer. No.

Actually, he was very busy at the time. As Commander of the the Continental Army, General Washington was defending New York City in July 1776. But on July 9, 1776, as directed by John Hancock, Washington read The Declaration of Independence to the Army.

[reference: Did any of our "Founding Fathers" NOT sign the Declaration of Independence? ]

Here is the reenactment:

(reference: https://youtu.be/GDZp5-w-fZ8 )

Note the last line:

“And for the support of this Declaration,

with a firm reliance on the protection
of Divine Providence,

we mutually pledge to each other

our Lives,

our Fortunes,

and our sacred Honor.”

So what happened to the 56 signers and their families?

The late Paul Harvey tells us the rest of the story:

(reference: https://youtu.be/Zw6sKtXDCZk )

The signers were prosperous men, with everything to lose. But they considered liberty much more important than security. So they pledged--

Their lives,

their fortunes,

and their sacred honor

Today, may we remember what they were fighting for

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

that all men are created equal;

that they are endowed by their Creator

with certain unalienable rights;

that among these are

life,

liberty,

and

the pursuit of happiness.

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1776

Have a Blessed Independence Day!

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Other posts in this series:

America's Story (part 1) - The Speech that redefined us, November 19, 1863 (2011)

America's Story (part 2) - Savages! (2011)

America's Story (part 3) - Over There - 1917, 1941 (2011)

America's Story (part 4) - Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy (2011)

America's Story (part 5) - Amazing Grace (2012)

America's Story (part 6) - GI Joe Tuskegee Airmen (2012)

America's Story (part 7) - When Reagan was shot (2012)

America's Story (part 8) - Memorial Day, Gettysburg, and Amos Humiston (2012)

America's Story (part 9) - A Tale of Two Revolutions (2012)

America's Story (part 10) - Sergeant York (2012)

America's Story (part 11) - Sacajawea (2012)

America's Story (part 12) - Death and Taxes (2013)

America's Story (part 13) - The Enola Gay (2013)

America's Story (part 14) - I Was a Male War Bride - the real story (2014)

America's Story (part 15) - World War 2: memories of North Africa (2014)

America's Story (part 16) - Our First 9/11 (2014)

America's Story (part 17) - The Last of the Doolittle Raiders (2015)

America's Story (part 18) - VE Day - 70 years ago (2015)

America's Story (part 19) - Trinity and "The Long Peace" (2015)

America's Story (part 20) - Patton's Weather Prayer (2015)

America's Story (part 21) - Is America Great? (2017)

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Photo: Independence Day/everystockphoto.com

Web Site: smithsk: America's Story (part 22): Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor

Hiraeth- (noun) - a deep, wistful, nostalgic sense of longing for home; a home that is no longer or perhaps never was. A yearning and wistful grief fo

Reviewed by m j hollingshead

Reviewed on July 9, 2018

well said, timely, needed

never stop writing

m

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Reviewed on July 2, 2018

Very moving. I always loved listening to Paul Harvey. Reminded me that we have a tendency to be wrong about the men who set about founding our country when we only focus on the survivors of a horrendous time for those that dared defy the king of the England.

Will share your message.

Ron