Declaration of Independence

"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."  Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 

Joseph Hewes, North Carolina.  

Joseph Hewes was a Quaker who, when it became clear that he would advocate for war against Great Britain, became an Episcopalian.    

Before Joseph was born, his parents Aaron and Providence were forced out of Connecticut due to Indian massacres occurring within their community as well as intolerance of Quakers by Puritans.  Aaron and Providence’s resettlement to New Jersey was not without great personal risk.  Ms. Hewes was wounded in the neck by ball shot from the gun of an Indian.  The couple settled in “Maybury Hill,” an estate on the outskirts of Princeton, New Jersey.  On January 23, 1730, Joseph was born there.  Maybury Hill was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.   

"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."  Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 

George Walton, Georgia.  

George Walton, an Episcopalian, was born near Farmville, Virginia, in about 1741.  His parents were poor, and both died when George was only 12 years old.  He was apprenticed to a carpenter, a man of limited education, who worked him hard during the day and refused to provide him with a candle to read at night.

But George Walton wasn’t an ordinary boy.  He possessed a thirst for knowledge and was gifted with a strong intellect and determined spirit.  He did not enjoy any special advantages, except for his own strong desire to expand his mind and develop his skills of carpentry.  During the day, he would find moments to collect lightwood, which served to allow him to read at night.  

"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."  Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 

Lyman Hall, Georgia.  An ordained Congregational minister, Lyman Hall later became a medical doctor.  He boldly espoused liberation from kingly rule, and became a leader and spokesman for the Puritans in St. John’s Parish, which was situated in the town of Sunbury. 

"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."  Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 

Button Gwinnett: Georgia.  

One of three signers of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia, Button Gwinnett’s life was cut short on May 27, 1777, after a pistol duel with his nemesis, Lachlan McIntosh, an experienced officer who in 1776 had repulsed the British assault at the Battle of the Rice Boats in the Savannah River.  Gwinnett might well have said, as did the lamented Alexander Hamilton when fatally wounded in his duel with Aaron Burr: ”I have lived like a man, but have died like a fool.”

"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."  Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 

Caesar Rodney.  Rodney served in the Continental Congress  along with Thomas McKean and George Read from 1774 through 1776.  Signer of the Declaration of Independence, he was a native of Dover, Delaware.  He held more public offices than any other Delaware citizen. In addition to being an extremely dedicated delegate, Rodney was also a soldier, judge, and speaker of Delaware’s Assembly. 

"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."  Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 

Thomas McKean.  Along with Caesar Rodney of Delaware, Thomas McKean signed the Declaration of Independence.  He was one of Delaware’s delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776.  He served as President of Congress (July 10, 1781 – November 4, 1781), was a ratifier of the U.S. Constitution, and served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Governor of Pennsylvania, and Governor of Delaware.