Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence Declaration of Independence of the 13 Coloniesof the 13 Colonies

The colonists declared The colonists declared themselves equal to King themselves equal to King George III and they needed to George III and they needed to declare to the world why they declare to the world why they broke away from Great broke away from Great Britain.Britain.

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-We hold these truths to be self-evident:evident:

We hold these ideas to We hold these ideas to be obviousbe obvious

That all (people) are equal. That they That all (people) are equal. That they are given, by their Creator, specific are given, by their Creator, specific protected rights. That these rights protected rights. That these rights include: life, liberty (freedom), and the include: life, liberty (freedom), and the opportunity to become productive opportunity to become productive citizens.citizens.

That all men are created equal; that That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; happiness;

Governments are set up by people. Governments Governments are set up by people. Governments get their power from the people (We the People). If get their power from the people (We the People). If the government does not keep the rights of the the government does not keep the rights of the people, the people should abolish the government people, the people should abolish the government and create a new one.and create a new one.

that, 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 principles, 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 disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing 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 is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.

Governments that have served well should not be changed for any reason whatsoever (and, in fact, our experience has shown that people will suffer more under a harsh government than choose the work to build a new one). But, when King George III and the House of Lords in Great Britain keep abusing the 13 Colonies, and King George III becomes a tyrant and the House of Lords despots, it is the right AND responsibility of the people to change the government.

That is what we face now in the 13 Colonies. We have suffered patiently. We have told our brethren in Great Britain of their abuses. King George III has abused his power and become a tyrant!

To prove this, let To prove this, let facts be submitted facts be submitted to a candid world.to a candid world.

Some of the Reasons the Colonists Some of the Reasons the Colonists Gave to King George III for Becoming Gave to King George III for Becoming Independent StatesIndependent States

1.1. He has refused to pass other laws for He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable in the legislature, a right inestimable to them, and formidable to tyrants to them, and formidable to tyrants only.only.

He has refused to pass laws unless He has refused to pass laws unless we give up our rights, rights that are we give up our rights, rights that are very important to us and a problem very important to us and a problem for the King.for the King.

22.. He has called together legislative bodies He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual uncomfortable, and at places unusual uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.them into compliance with his measures.

He calls on our legislatures to gather in He calls on our legislatures to gather in strange places, places that are far away, strange places, places that are far away, uncomfortable and where we do not uncomfortable and where we do not have our records. He does this until we have our records. He does this until we get tired and will finally agree to follow get tired and will finally agree to follow the King’s will.the King’s will.

3. He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; 3. He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has stopped the colonies from He has stopped the colonies from gaining population, refusing to gaining population, refusing to encourage people to come to the encourage people to come to the colonies. He is also changing the rules colonies. He is also changing the rules of how people get land.of how people get land.

4. He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers..

He has blocked our administration He has blocked our administration from setting up our courts and justice from setting up our courts and justice system by refusing to agree to laws system by refusing to agree to laws that will help us set up our courts and that will help us set up our courts and justice department.justice department.

5.5. He has made judges dependent on his will He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has made judges dependent on him for their job and their salary.

6.6. He has kept among us, in times of He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures. consent of our legislatures.

He has kept an army from He has kept an army from England among the people England among the people in this time of peace, in this time of peace, without our agreement.without our agreement.

7.7. He has affected to render the military independent He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to, the civil power.of, and superior to, the civil power.

He has made the military independent of the He has made the military independent of the governing bodies of the colonies; our legislatures and governing bodies of the colonies; our legislatures and the people.the people.

8.8. He has combined with others to He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution and foreign to our Constitution and unacknowledged by our laws, unacknowledged by our laws, giving his assent to their acts of giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:pretended legislation:

He has made us acknowledge laws not in our He has made us acknowledge laws not in our constitution, and made by other countries, giving constitution, and made by other countries, giving his approval to fake legislation.his approval to fake legislation.

9. For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;

He is protecting his people by having fake trials He is protecting his people by having fake trials and giving no sentences, even if they murder and giving no sentences, even if they murder colonists.colonists.

10.10. For cutting off our trade For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; with all parts of the world;

He is cutting us off our ability to trade with the world.He is cutting us off our ability to trade with the world.

11.11. For imposing taxes on us For imposing taxes on us without our consent;without our consent;

He is forcing taxes on us without He is forcing taxes on us without our agreement our agreement

12. For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;

He is taking away our benefit of He is taking away our benefit of trial by jury.trial by jury.

13.13. For transporting us beyond seas, For transporting us beyond seas, to be tried for pretended offenses;to be tried for pretended offenses;

He is moving us to England to He is moving us to England to stand trial for fake crimes.stand trial for fake crimes.

14. For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies;

He has stopped English Law in Canada and other colonies, beginning He has stopped English Law in Canada and other colonies, beginning governments that he chooses, and makes boundaries larger in other colonies governments that he chooses, and makes boundaries larger in other colonies to take away our power and to make an example of us.to take away our power and to make an example of us.

15.15. For taking away our charters, For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments; the forms of our governments;

He has taken away our laws of our He has taken away our laws of our colonies, eliminating our laws and colonies, eliminating our laws and form of government.form of government.

16.16. He has plundered our seas, He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. and destroyed the lives of our people.

He has wrecked our seas, He has wrecked our seas, destroyed our coasts, destroyed our coasts, burned our towns, and burned our towns, and destroyed our lives.destroyed our lives.

17.17. He is at this time He is at this time transporting large armies of transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, the works of death, desolation, and tyranny already begun with and tyranny already begun with circumstances of cruelty and circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.civilized nation.

He is bringing in large armies that he pays for; armies from other countries, to destroy us in terrible and hideous ways.

In every stage of these oppressions we In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.a free people.

We have written, begged and asked him to stop these abuses, and explained to him that a good a just ruler does not act like this.

Nor have we been wanting in our attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity; and we have conjured them, by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow these usurpations which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity.

We have tried to talk to the other people who live in England. WE asked them to stop these crimes against us, but they have acted as thought they were deaf.

We must, therefore, acquiesce in the We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our necessity which denounces our separation, and hold them as we hold separation, and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends. in peace friends.

So we have to separate from England, and they will be our enemies during the war, though we hope they’ll be our friends when there is peace.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies solemnly publish and declare, of these colonies solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATESFREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; ;

that they are absolved from all allegiance that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown and that all political to the British crown and that all political connection between them and the state of connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and that, as free and dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent other acts and things which independent states may of right do. states may of right do.

And for the support of this declaration, with a And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine firm reliance on the protection of Divine

Providence, Providence, we mutually pledge to each other we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

One of the greatest documents ever written, and it belongs to you…..

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We hold these truths to be self-evident:

We hold these ideas to be obvious