Profiles in Courage

When I think about the United States of America, the one word that continually comes up is – courage. The founders of the United States were very courageous people. They were all wealthy men of standing who could have easily cut deals with their oppressor, King George of England, and maintained their well-to-do lifestyles at the expense of the freedoms and the rights of the common everyday citizen. But instead, they chose to put it all on the line, not just their standing, not just their wealth, but also their very lives.

By signing the Declaration of Independence, the 56 men risked being convicted of high treason against the King of England. If the revolution had failed, they all would have been hung, their bodies cut into quarters, so their remains would be scattered abroad so they would have no final resting place. All of their earthly goods would be confiscated by the state. And their family and their heirs could own no property in perpetuity. Five signers of the Declaration were captured by the British, tortured and hung. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned to the ground. Two lost their sons in the war, another had two sons captured by the British. Nine fought and died in the war. That is what they risked, that is what they gave up for the freedom and rights that we take for granted.

It is hard not to think about the courage when I think about Abraham Lincoln and the abolitionists. Lincoln could have easily turned a blind eye to the slavery in the south and not risked his Presidency or the survival of the Union. But instead, he courageously stood up to the evil of slavery, and risked everything that he had worked for up to that point. Ultimately, he gave his life in pursuit of that end. Some people argue that Lincoln only went to war to preserve the Union, but he could have easily preserved the Union without war if he was willing to allow slavery to exist in the Southern states and allow the Missouri compromise to continue. But he was unwilling to do that because he had the courage to do what was right.