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Article: That significant, sensational signing: the signers of the Declaration of Independence knew that they might pay a price--yet they signed anyway. Over time, their sacrifices may have been exaggerated, but their true stories are fascinating enough without embellishment.(HISTORY--PAST AND PERSPECTIVE)
- Article from:
- The New American
- Article date:
- July 7, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 American Opinion Publishing, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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You might think that defying a powerful government, convening an illegal Congress, and signing one of liberty's most lyrical documents would be exciting enough for anyone. But no. Over the decades, folks have embellished the history of the Declaration of Independence and its signers. They've neatened the chronology: Congress approved and signed the text on the Fourth of July, then read it publicly that evening while gentlemen removed their tricorns, ladies wept, and fireworks lit the skies. They've written quips for the ever-witty Ben Franklin, who certainly needed no help in that department. And they've invented heartbreaking fates for the ...