Of the 56 representatives who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine of them did not live to see the victory of the American Revolution. Many others suffered financial losses, loss of family members, and some even total ruin.

Soldiers were not the only ones who paid a high price for their devotion to this newly-formed nation. The home of John Adams was looted, as was Benjamin Franklin’s home in Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson narrowly escaped with his life in 1779 when the British Navy raided the coast of Virginia. Josiah Bartlett’s house was sacked by British Loyalists in 1774, even before the first shots were fired.

So many we remember who survived the war and went on to continue to lead our young nation — but many did not. This is a brief summary of what happened to some who helped pave the path of American Independence:

William Ellery of Rhode Island: 

His house and entire estate was burned to the ground. He survived the war, and later became a vocal opponent of slavery.

William Floyd of New York: 

He and his family escaped the British invasion of Long Island to Connecticut, but left behind their home and his entire income. The home was a charred ruin when they returned penniless, a full seven years later. He went on to become a U.S. senator and Congressman from New York.

Francis Lewis of New York: 

His home and estates on Long Island were destroyed by the British Army. His wife was captured and imprisoned, dying from complications stemming from her imprisonment.

Lewis Morris of New York: 

The entire Morris financial fortune was put at the service of the Continental Army. Loyalist neighbors confiscated his property, forcing him apart from his family for the duration of the war. His brother, Gouverneur (of Constitution fame), also lost most of his wealth during the Revolution.

Phillip Livingston of New York: 

One of the wealthiest men in American in 1776, Livingston lost every bit of his wealth as a result of signing the Declaration of Independence. His family was driven from their home by British troops and his estate plundered. Livingston died in poverty just two years later, while still serving in the Continental Congress.

John Hart of New Jersey: 

As he signed the Declaration of Independence his wife lay dying at home. He rushed home in time only to say goodbye, and was forced to be on the run as the British Army approached his home. His 13 children never saw their father again. John Hart died in 1779.

Richard Stockton of New Jersey: 

Judge Stockton was arrested by British authorities in 1776 and imprisoned in a military stockade. He was released five years later, but was crippled with illness and died a pauper in Princeton. Richard Stockton College in New Jersey is named in his honor.

John Witherspoon of New Jersey: 

A native of Scotland, he earned his doctorate in divinity from the University of St. Andrews before immigrating to the America to serve as president of the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton University). The British Army responded to his signing the Declaration by burning the college library to the ground, when they occupied the town of Princeton. British troops pillaged the rest of the campus. Following the war, Witherspoon returned and lived to see the college rebuilt.

Robert Morris of Pennsylvania: 

Morris earned a massive fortune as a banker and commercial magnate. He donated it all to finance the Revolution. The blockade runners that brought supplies from Europe to the colonies were entirely paid for by Morris. He also loaned some $10,000 to the Continental Congress when it was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1776. He was never repaid. He died impoverished in 1806, but not before becoming the nation’s first effective Secretary of the Treasury.

John Morton of Pennsylvania: 

Morton signed the Declaration despite living among a predominantly pro-British community. Many of his neighbors and colleagues turned on him, and he was forced to remain in Philadelphia. Just before his death in 1777, he submitted to Congress what became known as the Articles of Confederation.

Thomas Nelson of Virginia: 

As American guns shelled the British defenses at Yorktown, Nelson (now a general in the Continental Army) saw that they were sparing his house, which was General Cornwallis’ headquarters. Legend states he personally turned a cannon toward his home and blew it up, to show that he was no less willing to sacrifice his personal possessions than any other American. He loaned over $2 million to the Continental Congress, none of which was ever repaid. He died in poverty.

All of the South Carolina delegates: 

All four men paid dearly for joining the cause of American Independence. Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton and Thomas Heyward Jr. were imprisoned by the British Army when Charleston was captured in 1780. They were beaten and humiliated in prison, then released, and their homes were burned by British troops. Thomas Lynch disappeared at sea while seeking medical help in the West Indies.

Lyman Hall of Georgia: 

A physician who had earned his degree from Yale, Dr. Hall helped to supply food and provisions for the Continental Army throughout the war. The British Army burned his property when they captured Savannah in 1780, and after escaping the siege of Charleston found refuge in Connecticut.

In addition to these sacrifices, let us not as well forget this Independence Day the thousands of American patriot soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice with their blood.