IN CONGRES S, JuLY 4, 1776,
ADECLARATION
BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
IN GENERAL CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.
II in the Courte of human Events, it becomes hece{fafy for one People to diffolve the Political Bands which have conneéled them
with another, and to affume among the Powers of the Earth, the feparate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of
Nature's God entitle them, a decent Refpecft to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they ihould declare the caufes which impel them
to tl-e Separation.
WE hold thefe Truths to be felf-evident, that all Men are created equals
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among thefe are Life, Liberty,' and the Purfuit of Happinefs— -That to fecure the{é Rights, Governments are
infiituted amopg Men, deriving their juft Powers fronl the Confent of the Gcverned, that whenever any Form of Government becomes deftruftive of thefe
it is the ilight of the People to alter or to aboli{h it, and to inftitute new Government, laying its Foundation on fuch Principles, and organizing
Ends,
its Powers in fuch Form, as (o them {hall feem moft likely to effect their Safety and Happinefs. Prudence, indeed, •will dictate that Governments long efe
tablifhed fhoüld not be changed for light and tranfient Caufes; and accordingly all Experience hath fhevvn, that Mankind are more difpofed to fufer, while
Evils ace fufferable, than to right themfelves by aboli{hing the Forms to which they are accuftorned. But when a long Train of Abufes and Üfucpations, purfu-
ing invariably the fame Object, evinces a Defign to reduce them under abfolute )efpotifm, it is their RWht, it is their Duty„ to throw off fuch Government,i
to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of thefe Colonies ;
and fuch is now the Neceflity which conftrains
them to alter their former Syftems of Government. The Hillory of the prefent King of Great-Britain is a Hiftory of repeated Injuries and Ufurpations, all
having dire& Obje& the Eltablifhment of an ab{ölute Tyranny over thefe States.' To prove this, let Facts be fubmitted to a candid World.
HE has vefufed his Affent to Laws, the moll wholefome and neceffary for the public Good.
HE has forbidden his Governors to pafs Laws of immediate and preffing Importance, unlefs fufpended in their Operation till his Affent fhould be obtained ;
and when fo fufpend.ed, he has utterly negleéted to attend to them.
TIE has refufed to pafs other Laws for the Accommodation of large Diftri&s cf People, unlefs thofe People would the Right of Reprefentation in
the Legiflature, a Right ineftimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.
HE has called together Legi{lative Bodies at Places unufual, uncomfortable, and diftant from the Depofitory of their public Records, for the Cole Purpofe of
fatiguing them into Compliance with his Meafures.
HE has diffolved Reprefentative Houfcs repeatedly, for oppefing with manly Firmnefs his Invafions on the Rights of the People.
H r, has refufed for a long Time, after fuch Diffolutions» to caufe others to be elected; whereby the Legiflative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have
turned to the People at large for their exercilé; the State remaining in the mean time expofed to all the Dangers of Invafion from without, and Convulfions within.
1--1 L has endeavoured to prevent the Population of thefe States ; for that Purpofe obftruaing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners ; refuling to pars others
to encourage their Migrations hither, and raifing the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
I-IE has obl)rufted the Adminiftration of Juftice, by refufing his Affent to Laws for eftablifhing Judiciary Powers.
I-IE has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and the Atnount and Payment of their Salaries.
YIE has ere&ed a Multitude of new Offices, and lent hither Swarms of Officers to harraCs our People, and eat out their Subftance.
TIE has kept arnong us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the confent of out" Legifiatures.
HE has affected to render the Military independent of and fuperior to the Civil Power.
has combined with others to fubjeEt us to a Jurifdi&ion foreign to our Conftitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Affent to their Acqs oe-
prctended Legiflation :
FOR quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us :
FOR protecting them, by a mock Trial, frorn Punifhment for any Murders which they fhould commit on the Inhabitants of thefe States :
FOR cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World :
FOR impofino• Taxes on us without our Confent :
FOR depriving us, in many Cafes, of the Benefits of Trial by jury :
FOR tranfporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences :
FOR abolilbing the free Syftem of Englifh Laws in a neighbouring Province, eaabli[12ing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, fo
as to render it at once an Example and fit Tnftrutnent for introducing the fame abfolute Rule into thcfe Colonies :
FOR taking away our Charters, aboliflling our moft valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments :
FOR fufpending our own Legiflatures, and declaring themfelves invefted with Power to legiflate for us in all Cafes whatfoever.
HE has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Prote&ion ana waging War againft us.
II E has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coafts, burnt our Towns, and deftr.byed the Lives of our People.
HE is, at this Time, tranfporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Defolation> and Tyranny'* already begun with ci
cumftanccs of Cruelty and Perfidy, fcarcely paralleled in the moft barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.
HE has conftrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms againft their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and
Brethren, or to fall themfelves by their Hands.
H has excited domeftic Infurre&ions amongft us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers,
the mercilefs Indian Savages, whcfe
known Rule of Warfare, is an undiflinguiihecl Deflruftion, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.
IN every Rage of thefe OppretT10ns we have Petitioned for Redrefs in the Inoff humble Terms : Our repeated Petitions have been anfwered onlv by repeaV
ed InjulY. A Prince, whofe Character is thus marked by every aft which 11)ay define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People,
NOR have we been wanting in Attentions to our Briti{h Brethren, We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legiflature to extend an
unwarrantable Jurifdiélion over us. We have reminded them of the Circum(lances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native
Juflice and Maonanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to difavow thefe Ufurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt
Connections and Correfpondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Jut'lice and of Confanguinity. We muftj therefore, acquiefce in the Necefflty, which
denounces our Separation, and hold then), as we hold the refl of Mankind, Enemies in War. in Peace, Friends.
WE, therefore, the of the UNITED STA TES OF AM ERI c A, in GENERAL c ONGRESS, AITembled,
pealing {o the Supreme Judge of the VVorld for the Recctitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of thefe Colonies,
lemnly Publi{h and Declare, That !hefe United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, F R E D AND I N D E P E N 1) r, N T ST A T E s that they are
from 411 Allegiance to the Briti[h Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-lhitain» is and ought to be totally dif-
they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contra& Alliances, eftabli(h
and that as FREE A N 1) INDEPENDENT S. ATE S,
Commerce, and to do all other Acfts and Things which I N D E P E N D E N T S T A T E s may of right do. And for the fapport of this Declaration, with a
firm Reliance on the Prote&ion of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our facred El»nor»
Signed by O R D E R and in E. A of the C O N G R E S
JOHN HANCOCK, PRESIDENT.
T FIONISÖN, SECRET A luz
z Y J o H N DVNLAP.
PHYLA DELPHI A :
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