Some of these men are well-known, others faded into obscurity. It's tempting to talk about our more famous signers, but a handful of these remarkable men died in poverty and obscurity, and they should not be forgotten.

The Unfortunates

Carter Braxton

Carter Braxton was born to a wealthy family in Virginia. In 1760, after a visit to England, he was appointed as a representative of the Virginia House of Burgesses. He became convinced that the colonies should become independent and never wavered in that belief. He assumed a place in the Continental Congress in 1775. He donated much of his wealth to the war effort, loaning large sums of money that were not paid back, and financing shipping and privateering during the conflict. His ships were destroyed and he was forced to sell his lands and property. He died in poor circumstances at the age of 61.

John Hart

A contemporary portrait shows John Hart as a handsome, strong man, with the long flowing hair that was popular at the time. He was a self-made man, a successful New Jersey farmer who served in the New Jersey Assembly for ten years, then in the Continental Congress. During the war, the British looted his property, and he fled and remained in hiding for a year. He had to leave his ill wife while avoiding capture, and when he returned to his devastated farm, his wife was dead and his thirteen children had disappeared. He never found out what had happened to them. Later in the war, in 1778, he invited the American Army to encamp on his farm. Ten thousand men did so, during the growing season, destroying his crops. Hart died in 1779, at the age of 66, having lost his family and most of his wealth in support of the American cause.

Francis Lewis

Born in Wales, orphaned at an early age, Francis Lewis apprenticed to a merchant and became a businessman in London. At the age of twenty-one he came into an inheritance from his father and sailed to New York, setting foot in America in 1735. Quickly becoming a successful businessman, he traveled extensively in Europe. An adventurous man, he was shipwrecked twice, returned to North America and became involved in the war with the French in Canada. He was captured by Indians, but, remarkably, was treated well. He was a prisoner of war in France, and was freed in a prisoner exchange. Honored by the British for his services, he was nevertheless a staunch American patriot, becoming a delegate to provincial congress of New-York in 1775, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Francis suffered for his beliefs. His estate and belongings on Long Island were destroyed by the British, and his wife was imprisoned under appalling conditions for over two years. Finally released, she died shortly after from her ordeal. Alone and in comparative poverty, Francis Lewis died, at the age of 90, on December 30th, 1803.

Thomas Lynch

The son of a prosperous South Carolina plantation owner, Thomas studied at Georgetown University, South Carolina, and later Cambridge, England. By all reports he was a good scholar and was expected to take up law. He returned to the Colonies in 1772 and immediately settled down as a gentleman about town. He didn't practice law, and, restless and lacking direction, he turned to the military, and was commissioned to command a regiment of South Carolina militiamen in 1775, when relations with Britain were becoming increasingly strained. His military career was from the beginning marred by ill-health, and when his father became ill, Thomas Jr. took over the patriarchs' duties in the Continental Congress.

His health continued to worsen, and he retired shortly after signing the Declaration. Towards the end of 1776, he and his wife sailed for the West Indies, on a voyage that was planned to eventually end in the South of France. They were never heard from again. At the age of thirty, Thomas, together with his wife, was presumed drowned.

Arthur Middleton

Like Thomas Lynch, Arthur Middleton was the son of a prominent and wealthy South Carolinian. Also like Lynch, he studied in England, at Hackney, and later Cambridge, where he took classics. He was an excellent scholar and gained a reputation for steadiness and hard work. He traveled widely in Europe, initially as a single man, later with his wife. In 1773, the young couple returned to the Colonies for good. Both Arthur and his father knew that their fortunes were put at risk by their outspoken support of Independence, but they did not hesitate to speak and act with their principles. It was in these tense times that Arthur became a military organizer. He was an effective administrator, and largely on the strength of his organizational success, he was appointed representative of South Carolina in the congress of the United States at Philadelphia, where he signed the Declaration of Independence.

In 1778, he returned to South Carolina, and was elected Governor, but turned down the position because he did not agree with the newly drawn-up State Constitution. In 1779, the war with Britain came home with a vengeance. His estates were plundered, and the family narrowly escaped the invading army. The following year, Arthur Middleton was not so lucky. He was captured while helping defend the City of Charleston. He was imprisoned for almost a year, and although he later returned and became a member of the South Carolina state legislature, he never recovered his fortune.

Richard Stockton

Richard Stockton was a distinguished lawyer, with large holdings in New Jersey. In 1766 and 1767, he visited England, Ireland, and Scotland. The British took to him, and he mingled with Royalty and academics. On his return to the Colonies, he was a favorite of British Royalty. However, as tensions mounted between Britain and her dominions, his patriotism for America became apparent. Initially, he tried to support a middle-of-the road position, but eventually, and with some regret he renounced his allegiance to his sovereign, in the full knowledge that he was embarking on a dangerous and uncertain course. He was elected as delegate to the General Congress in Philadelphia. There he was welded to the cause of Independence by the eloquence of John Adams.

Just a few months later, he was taken prisoner by the British and their supporters, and was treated so badly that his health was permanently damaged. When he was finally released, he found his lands devastated and his possessions destroyed. He died after a long period of ill health at the age of fifty-three, poor and dependent on the charity of his friends.

Diversity

Each of these men was highly intelligent, remarkably able and energetic. From different backgrounds, with differing views, they came together with the other fifty signers to launch the birth of the United States of America. The War of Independence affected all of them. The unfortunates suffered for their beliefs, but they were not the only ones. The rich and powerful American leaders of 1776 were willing to risk their lives and wealth in support of their newborn country.

It is instructive to note that ordinary Americans were also willing to suffer in their quest for Independence, and many did.

Portrait of the Six