The signers were committing an act of treason against the crown and therefore if caught they would most likely be hung. Along with the the fear of death for treason, there would have been concerns for their families. If they were caught, their families would have most likely lost their land in America, along with losing the signer. On a larger scale they would have also been aware, possibly afraid, of the retailiation from the Crown in the form of troops. They were creating a document that could incite a major war.
