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pendency they gave the reafons of their proceedings, and fet forth to the world the grievances they had long complained of without being heard, Their own words will beft fhew their reafons and fentiments upon the fubject.

Reafons affigned by the Continental Congrefs, for the North American Colonies and Provinces withdrawing their allegiance to the King of Great Britain,

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

A DECLARATION by the REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, in General Congress assembled.

When, in the courfe of human events, it becomes neceffary for one people to diffolve the political bands which have connected 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 intitle them, a decent refpect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the caules which impel them to the feparation.

We hold thofe truths to be felf-evident; that all men are created equal; that they were endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among thefe are life, liberty, and the purfuit of hap pinefs. That to fecure thefe rights, governments are iuftituted among men, deriving their just powers from the confent of the governed; and, whenever any form of government becomes deftructive of thofe ends, it is the right of the people to alter and abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on fuch principles, and organizing its powers in fuch form,

as to them fhall feem most likely to effect their fafety and happiness. Prudence indeed will dictate that governments long established fhould not be changed for light and tranfient caufes; and accordingly all experience hath fhewn, that mankind are more difpofed to fuffer, while evils are fufferable, than to right themfelves by abolishing the forms to which they are accuf tomed; but, when a long train of abufes and ufurpations, purfuing invariably the fame object, evinces a defign to reduce them under abfolute defpotiím, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off fuch government, and to provide new guards for their future fecurity. Such has been the patient fufferance of thefe colonies, and fuch is now the neceffity which conftrains them to alter their former fyftems of government. The hiftory of the prefent

of

is

a hiftory of repeated injuries and ufurpations; all having in direct object the establishment of an abfolute tyranny over thefe ftates. To prove this, let facts be fubmitted to a candid world.

He has refufed his affent to laws, the most wholefome and neceffary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pafs laws of immediate and preffing importance, unless fufpended in their operation till his affent fhould be obtained; and, when fo fufpended, he has utterly neglected to attend

them.

'He has refufed to pafs other laws for the accommodation of large diftricts of people, unless those people would relinquish the rights of reprefentation n the legislature; a right ineftimable to them, and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unufual, uncomfortable, and diftant from the depofi

tory

tory of their public records, for the fole purpofe of fatiguing them into compliance with his measure.

He has diffolved Representatives Houfes repeatedly, for oppofing, with manly firmnefs, his invafions on the rights of the people.

He has refufed, for a long time after fuch diffolution, to cause others to be erected; whereby the legiflative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercife; the State remaining in the mean time expofed to all the dangers of invafion from without, and convulfions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of thefe States; for that purpofe obftructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners, refufing to pafs others to encourage their migrations hither, and raifing the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obftructed the adminiftration of juftice, by refufing his affent to laws for eftablishing judiciary

powers.

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

He has erected a 'multitude of new offices, and fent hither fwarms of officers to harrafs our people, and eat out their fubfiftence.

He has kept among us in times of peace ftanding armies, without the confent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the military independent of, and fuperior to, the civil power."

He has combined with others to fubject us to a ju, rifdiction foreign to our conftitution, and unacknow.. ledged by our laws, giving his affent to their pretend ed acts of legislation:

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For

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among

us:

For protecting them by a mock trial, from punishment 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 impofing taxes on us without our confent:

For depriving us, in many cafes, of the benefit of trial by jury:

For tranfporting us beyond feas to be tied for pretended offences.

For abolishing the free fyftem of English laws in a neighbouring province, eftablishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, fo as to render it at once an example and fit inftrument for introducing the fame abfolute rule into thefe colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our mot taluable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For fufpending our own legislatures, and declaring themfelves invefted with power to legiflate for us in all cafes whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection, and waging war against us.

He has plundered our feas, ravaged our coafts, burnt our towns, and deftroyed the lives of our people.

He is, at this time, tranfporting large armies of foreign mercenaries, to complete the works of death, defolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumftances of cruelty and perfidy fcarcely parallelled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized pation..

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He has conftrained our fellow-citizens, taken captive on the high feas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themfelves by their hands.

He has excited domeftic infurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the mercilefs Indian favages, whose known rule of warfare is an undiftinguifhed deftruction of all ages, fexes, and conditions.

In every stage of thefe oppreffions we have petitioned for redrefs in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been anfwered only by repeated injury.- --A prince, whofe 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 wanting in attention to our Britill brethren. We have warned them frequently of attempts, by their legiflature, to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us; we have reminded them of the circumftances of our emigration and fortlement here; we have appealed to their native joftice and magnanimity; and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow thefe ufurpations, which would ineveitably interrupt our connections and correfpondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of juice and confanguinity. We must therefore acquiefce in the necelity which denounces our feparation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the reprefentatives of the United States of America, in general congrefs affembled, anpealing to the Supreme Judge of the world, for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by

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