Our Founding Fathers weren’t the patriarchy—they were heroes

In our nation right now, there are individuals who dismiss the Founding Fathers by the prism of 2022. If these individuals had their method, they might take away each plaque, statue or phrase that celebrates the genius and brave acts of the boys who signed the Declaration of Independence.

For instance, on July 3, 2019, a journalist from Vox put out this little gem: “The primary advantage of the revolution to colonists was that it gave extra political energy to America’s white male minority.”

I believe that when the 56 males signed the declaration in Philadelphia in 1776 — a literal dying warrant for every — “identification politics” was the furthest factor from their minds.  Particularly for many who had been imprisoned, had their properties burned to the bottom, their livestock slaughtered and their wives arrested, merely for daring so as to add their identify to essentially the most inspiring doc identified to humanity. 

Every of the 56 males who put that quill pen to parchment knew they had been very presumably signing their very own dying warrants. John Hancock not solely knew that however purposely elevated the danger to himself. Why? Legend tells us he upped the ante so King George III “can learn my identify with out spectacles and should double his reward on my head.”

John Hancock mentioned he wrote his identify massive on the Declaration of Independence so King George III may learn it “with out spectacles and should double his reward on my head.”

Getty Pictures

Through the Revolutionary Struggle to comply with, greater than 100,000 males served in America’s Continental Military, out of a inhabitants of two.5 million. One other 200,000 or so served as militiamen. In complete, roughly 70,000 died in lively navy service towards the tyranny of the British Crown. That’s a loss that right now would equate to virtually 10 million.

Like Hancock, every of the boys who dared to signal the declaration totally anticipated to pay a value. Francis Lewis of New York, lengthy rumored to be one of many leaders of the “Sons of Liberty” – a grassroots band of provocateurs who used civil disobedience to antagonize the British – paid a a lot steeper value than he may have imagined.

Francis Lewis paid a a lot steeper value than he may have imagined for signing the Declaration — he misplaced his spouse and residential.

Getty Pictures

Lewis was elected to the Continental Congress in 1775 and signed the Declaration on Aug. 2, 1776. Sadly, simply days later – exactly due to his independence actions – he was focused by the British, who despatched a navy contingent to destroy his house. Within the course of, they took his spouse, Elizabeth, prisoner and locked her in a moist stone cell with no mattress, no change of clothes and solely rotted meals to eat. She was freed solely as a result of Gen. George Washington discovered of her plight and ordered the arrest of the spouse of the British paymaster-general. Washington then initiated an change of the ladies. Sadly, it was too late to avoid wasting Elizabeth, who later died from the barbaric situations she suffered.

Declaration signer John Hart fled into the forest for weeks when the Redcoats got here for him. After he returned, he discovered his spouse lifeless and residential destroyed.

Getty Pictures

Then there’s John Hart of New Jersey. Due to his requires independence whereas speaker of the Meeting, he was already a marked man. Elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in June of 1776, he signed the Declaration on Aug. 2.  By December of that 12 months, because the Continental Military was compelled to retreat throughout New Jersey, British troops superior on the house of Hart. His ailing spouse, Deborah, begged Hart to get their youngsters to security, so he positioned them with kinfolk earlier than fleeing to the frigid forest the place he hid for weeks in caves till the Redcoats disbanded. Upon his return, he discovered that his spouse had handed away and the British had destroyed his house and property.

For signing their names, Thomas Heyward Jr. (left) and Arthur Middleton had been captured by the British and despatched to a prisoner-of-war camp in Florida, the place they had been abused.

Heritage Artwork/Heritage Pictures through Getty Pictures; Smith Assortment/Gado/Getty Pictures

By 1780, throughout the Battle of Charleston, three signers — Thomas Heyward, Jr., Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton — had been taken prisoner. Every was identified to the Crown not solely as enemy combatants, however signatories of the Declaration. As such, they had been despatched to a prisoner-of-war camp in Florida, and usually abused by their captors.

Many right now view historical past by the lens of 2022, defacing statues of Thomas Jefferson (above) and different Founding Fathers, as a rejection of something that celebrates their brave acts.

Twitter

These males who signed our Declaration knew that freedom was removed from free — and paid the value.

As we pause to commemorate our nation’s birthday, we must also keep in mind their sacrifice and reject any misguided claims from those that search to demonize them. It’s time we acknowledged our Founding Fathers for who they really are.

Heroes.

Douglas MacKinnon is a former White Home and Pentagon official and creator of the e book “The 56 – Liberty Classes From These Who Risked All To Signal The Declaration of Independence.”