The Declaration of Independence is considered the single most important document of American History. Written by Thomas Jefferson with the help of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, it was intended to explain and justify to the American colonies, England, and the rest of the world the colonial decision for separation from Britian. For the men of the Revolution it laid down the principles for which they fought. ************************************************************* THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENENCE IN CONGRESS JULY 4, 1776 The Unanimous Declaration Of The Thirteen United States of America 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 entitles 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. 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 shewn, 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 reducethem 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 System of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britian is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let the Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors 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 to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accomodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has desolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for oppressing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, 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 endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing 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 to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has errected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our Legislature. 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 quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the World; For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Provence, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boubdries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves 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 Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow-Citizens taken captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We havr Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus Marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been waiting in 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 must therefore, acquiese in the necessity which denounced our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, 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 all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britian, is and ought to 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 which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ============================================== Name Colony Occupation ---------------------------------------------- Adams, John Mass. Lawyer Adams, Samuel Mass. Merchant Bartlett, Josiah N.H. Physician Braxton, Carter Va. Planter Carroll, Charles Md. Lawyer Chase, Samuel Md. Lawyer CLARK, ABRAHAM N.J. Lawyer (1726 - 1794) Clymer, George Pa. Merchant Ellery, William R.I. Lawyer Floyd, William N.J. Farmer Franklin, Benjamin Pa. Printer Gerry, Elbridge Mass. Merchant Gwinnett, Burton Ga. Merchant Hancock, John Mass. Merchant Hall, Lyman Ga. Physician Harrison, Benjamin Va. Farmer Hart, John N.J. Farmer Hewes, Joseph N.C. Lawyer Heyward, Thomas, Jr. S.C. Lawyer Hooper, William N.C. Lawyer Hopkins, Stephen R.I. Farmer Hopkinson, Francis N.J. Lawyer Huntington, Samuel Conn. Lawyer Jefferson, Thomas Va. Lawyer Lee, Richard Henry Va. Soldier Lee, Francis Lightfoot Va. Farmer Lewis, Francis N.Y. Merchant Livingston, Philip N.Y. Merchant Lynch, Thomas, Jr. S.C. Lawyer McKean, Thomas Del. Lawyer Middleton, Arthur S.C. Lawyer Morris, Lewis N.Y. Farmer Morris, Robert Pa. Merchant Morton, John Pa. Surveyor Nelson, Thomas, Jr. Va. Statesman Paca, William Md. Lawyer Paine, Robert Treat Mass. Lawyer Penn, John N.C. Lawyer Read, George Del. Lawyer Rodney, Caesar Del. General Ross, George Pa. Lawyer Rush, Benjamin Pa. Physician Rutledge, Edward S.C. Lawyer Sherman, Roger Conn. Shoemaker Smith, James Pa. Lawyer Stockton, Richard N.J. Lawyer Stone, Thomas Md. Lawyer Taylor, George Pa. Physician Thornton, Matthew N.H. Physician Walton, George Ga. Lawyer Whipple, William N.H. Sailor Williams, William Conn. Statesman Wilson, James Pa. Lawyer Witherspoon, John N.J. Minister Wolcott, Oliver Conn. Physician Wythe, George Va. Lawyer