We call them heroes. The British called them traitors. Many of them turned out to be martyrs. Here is what happened to some of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence:

• Five were captured and tortured as traitors.
• Nine joined the revolutionary army, fought and died.
• Eight men had property looted by the British army or by vandals.
• One signer’s home was taken over by a British general. The owner, Thomas Nelson Jr., asked General Washington to burn the home down. The general did.
• The home of Francis Lewis was destroyed and his wife put in jail. She died shortly thereafter.
• Three men had their fields and mills destroyed.

In one way or another, all of the men paid a dear price as a result of their rebellion. Still they were faithful to the pledge they made on July 4, 1776:

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States .... 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.”