IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteenunitedStates of America,

When in theCourse of human events, it becomesnecessaryfor one people to dissolve the political bands which have connectedthem with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, theseparate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and ofNature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions ofmankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel themto the separation.

We hold thesetruths to be self-evident, that allmenare created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator withcertain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty andthe pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governmentsare instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consentof the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomesdestructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter orto abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundationon such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to themshall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long establishedshould not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordinglyall experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer,while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishingthe forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train ofabuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces adesign to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, itis their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide newGuards for their future security.--Such has been the patientsufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity whichconstrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. Thehistory of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeatedinjuries and usurpations, all having in direct object theestablishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To provethis, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Hehas refused his Assent to Laws, the mostwholesomeand necessary for the public good.

Hehas forbidden his Governors to pass Laws ofimmediateand pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till hisAssent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterlyneglected to attend to them.

Hehas refused to pass other Laws for theaccommodationof large districts of people, unless those people would relinquishthe right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimableto them and formidable to tyrants only.

Hehas called together legislative bodies atplacesunusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of theirpublic Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them intocompliance with his measures.

Hehas dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly,foropposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of thepeople.

Hehas refused for a long time, after suchdissolutions,to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers,incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large fortheir exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to allthe dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

Hehas endeavoured to prevent the population oftheseStates; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization ofForeigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrationshither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

Hehas obstructed the Administration of Justice,byrefusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

Hehas made Judges dependent on his Will alone,for thetenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of theirsalaries.

Hehas erected a multitude of New Offices, andsenthither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out theirsubstance.

Hehas kept among us, in times of peace, StandingArmieswithout the Consent of our legislatures.

Hehas affected to render the Military independentofand superior to the Civil power.

Hehas combined with others to subject us to ajurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by ourlaws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

ForQuartering large bodies of armed troops amongus:

Forprotecting them, by a mock Trial, frompunishmentfor any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of theseStates:

Forcutting off our Trade with all parts of theworld:

Forimposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

Fordepriving us in many cases, of the benefits ofTrialby Jury:

Fortransporting us beyond Seas to be tried forpretended offences

Forabolishing the free System of English Laws inaneighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government,and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an exampleand fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into theseColonies:

Fortaking away our Charters, abolishing our mostvaluable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of ourGovernments:

Forsuspending our own Legislatures, and declaringthemselves invested with power to legislate for us in all caseswhatsoever.

Hehas abdicated Government here, by declaring usout ofhis Protection and waging War against us.

Hehas plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts,burnt ourtowns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

Heis at this time transporting large Armies offoreignMercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny,already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcelyparalleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Headof a civilized nation.

Hehas constrained our fellow Citizens takenCaptive onthe high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become theexecutioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves bytheir Hands.

Hehas excited domestic insurrections amongst us,andhas endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, themerciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is anundistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stageof these Oppressions We havePetitionedfor Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions havebeen answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character isthus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to bethe ruler of a free people.

Nor have Webeen wanting in attentions to ourBrittishbrethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by theirlegislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We havereminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlementhere. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, andwe have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavowthese usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connectionsand correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justiceand of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity,which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest ofmankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore,the Representatives of the unitedStatesof America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the SupremeJudge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in theName, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnlypublish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Rightought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved fromall Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all politicalconnection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and oughtto be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States,they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances,establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things whichIndependent States may of right do. And for the support of thisDeclaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divineProvidence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunesand our sacred Honor.

Signatories: