UNANIMOUS DECLARATION
OF THE
THIRTEEN UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
IN CONGRESS JULY 4, 1776
When in the course of human
events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the
political bands which have
connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the
earth,
the separate and equal
station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them
a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel them to the separation .
We hold these truths to be
self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness. Tat to secure
these rights, Governments are instituted among men , deriving
their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever
any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these ends,
it is the Right of The People to alter or to abolish it and to
institute new
Government, laying its
foundation on such principals and organizing its powers in such form
as to
them shall seem most likely
to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will
dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for
light and transient causes,
and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more to
suffer, while evils are sufferable , than to right themselves by
abolishing the form to which that are accustomed.
But when a long train of
abuses and usurpation’s pursuing invariably invariably the same
object evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is
their duty,
to throw off such Government
and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient
sufferance of these Colonies and such is now the necessity which
constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government .
The history of the present
King of Great Britain , George III, is a history of repeated
injuries and usurpation all having in direct object the
establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.
To prove this let facts be
submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws,
the most wholesome and necessary for the pubic good.
He had forbidden his
Government to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance ,
unless,
suspended in their operation
till his Assent should be obtained and when so suspended he has
utterly
neglected to attend them.
He has refused to pass
other laws for the accommodation of large district of people unless
these people would
relinquish the right of representation in Legislature, a right
inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together
legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, distant from
depository of Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them
into compliance with is measures.
He has dissolved
Representative house repeatedly for opposing with manly firmness his
invasions on the Rights of the people.
He has refused for a long
time after such dissolution’s to cause others to be elected,
whereby
the Legislative Powers,
incapable of Annihillation , have returned to the People at Large
for their exercise, the State remaining in the meantime exposed to
all the dangers of invasion from without and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to
prevent the population of these States for that purpose of
obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners , refusing to
pass others to encourage their migrations hither and raising the
conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the
Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent of Laws for
establishing
Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges
dependent n his will alone for the tenure of their office and the
amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude
of New Offices and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our
people and eat out their substance.
He has in time of peace
kept a Standing Army without consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render
the Military independent of and superior to the civil Power.
He has combined with
others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution
and unacknowledged by our Laws, giving his Assent to their Acts of
pretended Legislation. For protecting them by mock trial from
punishment for Murders they commit on inhabitants of the States ,
cutting our
Trade with all parts of the
world , imposing Taxes without consent, depriving the benefits of
Trial by Jury, transporting us beyond seas to be tried for offences,
abolishing the System of English Laws, Establishment Arbitary
government, suspended our Legislatures, declaring himself invested
with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government
here by declaring us out of his Protection and waging war against
us.
He has plundered our seas,
ravaged our coast, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our
people.
He is at this time
transporting Armies of foreign mercenaries to complete works of
death,
desolation and tyranny.
He has taken our Citizens
captive on high seas and cause them to bear arms against us.
He has excited domestic
insurrections and endeavored to bring our Indians upon us with their
destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of
these oppressions WE have petitioned for Redress in most humble
terms that are answered by repeated injury.
Nor have we been wanting in
attentions to our British brethren and warned them of attempts of
their Legislature, to extend unwarrantable jurisdiction over us,
reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement
here. We have appealed to their native justice, they too are deaf to
the voice of justice, so we hold them as the rest of mankind,
Enemies in War.
We, therefore,
Representatives of the United States of America, in General
Congress, Assembled, appeal to the Supreme Judge of mankind , do,
in the Name, and by the authority of the
good People of these
colonies, solemnly publish and declare.
That these United Colonies
are and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they
are Absolved from the Allegiance to the British Crown, that all
political connection between them and Great Britain be totally
dissolved and as Free and Independent States have Power to levy War,
conclude peace, establish Alliances and Commerce, and do other Acts
they may do as Independent States. We mutually pledge to each other
our lives, our fortunes, and Sacred Honor.
Signed, Sealed and
Published, July 4, 1776
ABSTRACT: Harrison
Howeth,, July 2, 2017 of Roots Digest, Vol 12, issue 181, Eliz
Hanebury's “Happy Birthday America” Friday 30 June 2017,
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