Democrat Wayne County Board Member of Canvassers
Threatened Two Republican Members Who Refused to Certify Ballots
Update:
Republicans Cave in Wayne County, Michigan, Vote to Certify Election Results
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Abraham Clark is not one of the best known signers of the Declaration of Independence. In fact, he was well known for his rejection of artifice and pretense during his life, being the only member of the Continental Congress to dress plainly, without wigs, ruffles, or lace.
Abraham Clark is one of those signers of the Declaration of Independence who is not nearly as well known as some of the others. In fact, he has largely been forgotten by history, except for his signature on that famous document. This seeming low level of notoriety in history does not mean that Abraham lived an uneventful or unimportant life. In fact, it was quite the opposite. His life was an interesting one, and one of importance to American history.
It is time his story was remembered
Only a few days before the crucial vote on whether or not to ratify the Declaration of Independence. According to the new rules of the Congress for just this vote, the vote had to be unanimous for the Declaration to be ratified. Naturally, the New Jersey delegation, including Abraham, voted in favor of it.
Abraham put his signature on the Declaration of Independence along with the other New Jersey delegates, and he did so at great personal cost, though the other members of the Continental Congress did not know it at first. At the time of his signature, there were two of his sons who were serving as officers in the Continental Army, fighting for independence against Great Britain. Those two sons were both captured by British ships and were tortured and beaten by their British captors. Abraham knew of this and never brought it up at the Continental Congress. When the British offered the release of Abraham’s sons to him if he would recant his signing of the Declaration and withdraw his support of it, he refused. He believed that those in power should be offered no special treatment above the common man.
It was only when his two sons were transferred to a British prison ship that was notorious for the brutal way it treated its prisoners that Abraham finally said something about it to the Continental Congress. At this point, one of his sons was being kept in a dungeon on the ship without being fed–he only ate what little food his fellow prisoners were able to shove through the keyhole to his room. The other members of the Continental Congress were horrified at this news and appealed to the British on Abraham’s sons’ behalf. After this intervention by the Congress, the conditions of Abraham’s sons were improved, although they remained as British prisoners until the war was settled.
the British said
RECANT the Constitution Abraham, and your sons will be freed
the anguish in that Man’s heart could never be measured
when he replied
“NO”
Some music for your mornin coffee and thoughts
