The United States of America's Declaration of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

The declaration unanimously agreed to by 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 entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

When one people must break their political ties to another, they must also take their place among the world's nations. The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them to a separate and equal standing. In these circumstances, respect for humanity's opinions requires the separating people to explain the reasons compelling them to separate.

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

We hold these truths to be obvious: All people are created equal. Their Creator has given them certain rights that cannot be taken away. Among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are established among people to protect these rights. Governments gain their rightful powers from the consent of the people they govern. Whenever any form of government undermines these purposes, the people have the right to change or abolish that government. The people also have the right to establish a new government. They may base the new government on whatever principles seem most likely to ensure their safety and happiness. They may organize its powers in whatever way seems most likely to achieve those goals. Good judgment, however, calls for keeping long-established governments rather than changing them for minor, short-lived reasons. Accordingly, all experience has shown that people are more willing to endure wrongs, as long as those wrongs remain bearable, than to seek justice by abolishing the forms of government they know. But a long series of abuses and seizures of power, consistently pursuing the same goal, reveals a plan for absolute tyranny. When such a plan becomes clear, the people have the right and the duty to overthrow that government. They must also establish new protections for their future security. These Colonies have patiently endured such wrongs. Now, necessity forces these Colonies to change their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated wrongs and seizures of power. All have had the direct goal of establishing absolute tyranny over these States. To prove this, we present the facts to a fair-minded world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has refused to approve laws that are the most beneficial 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 forbidden his governors to pass urgently needed laws unless the laws remain on hold until he approves them. And when laws have been put on hold, he has completely neglected to address them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation 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 refused to pass other laws to serve large districts unless their people give up representation in the legislature. This right is priceless to those people and threatening only to tyrants.

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 made legislatures meet in unusual, uncomfortable places far from where their public records are kept. His sole purpose was to wear the lawmakers down until they agreed to his policies.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has repeatedly dissolved elected legislatures because they firmly and courageously opposed his attacks on the people's rights.

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 mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

After dissolving these legislatures, he has long refused to allow new ones to be elected. As a result, legislative powers, which cannot be abolished, have returned to the people as a whole to exercise. Meanwhile, the state has remained exposed to all the dangers of invasion from outside and unrest within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws of Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has tried to prevent the population of these States from growing. To do so, he has obstructed laws allowing foreigners to become citizens. He has refused to pass other laws encouraging them to move here. He has also made the requirements for obtaining new grants of land more demanding.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has obstructed justice by refusing to approve laws establishing courts and their 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 made judges depend entirely on his wishes to keep their jobs. He alone controls how much they are paid and the 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 created a multitude of new government offices. He has sent swarms of officials here to harass our people and drain their resources.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has kept permanent armies among us during peacetime without our legislatures’ consent.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has sought to make the military independent of civilian authority and more powerful than it.

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:

He has joined others in placing us under an authority outside our constitution and unrecognized by our laws. He has approved those others’ acts that falsely claim to be laws:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For housing large numbers 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 shielding them through sham trials from punishment for any murders they might commit against residents of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:

For taxing us without our consent:

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For denying us, in many cases, the benefits of a trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For sending us overseas to stand trial for supposed crimes:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring 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:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province. For establishing a government there with unchecked power. For expanding the province’s boundaries so the province would serve as both an example and a tool for imposing the same absolute rule on these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and fundamentally changing the structure of our governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

For suspending our own legislatures and claiming the power to make laws for us in all cases.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has abandoned government here by declaring us no longer under 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 has robbed us at sea and devastated our coasts. He has burned our towns and killed our people.

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

He is now bringing in large armies of foreign mercenaries to finish the work of death, destruction, and tyranny. This work has already begun with cruelty and treachery scarcely matched even in the most barbaric ages. Such conduct is completely unworthy of the leader 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 forced our fellow citizens captured at sea to take up arms against their own country. He has forced them to kill their friends and fellow citizens or be killed by those same people.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

He has stirred up rebellions among us. He has also tried to bring the merciless Indian Savages to attack people living along our frontiers. Their known way of waging war is to destroy everyone, regardless of age, sex, or social standing.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have 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.

At every stage of this oppression, we have humbly asked for relief. Our repeated requests have been met only with repeated harm. A ruler whose character is marked by every act that may define a tyrant is unfit to govern a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attention 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, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We have not neglected our British brothers and sisters. We have repeatedly warned them about their legislature’s attempts to claim unjustified authority over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our migration and settlement here. We have appealed to their natural sense of justice and generosity. We have urged them, through our shared family ties, to reject these wrongful seizures of power. These seizures would inevitably disrupt our ties and communication. The British people, too, have refused to listen to the calls of justice and kinship. We must therefore accept the necessity that requires our separation. We must regard them as we regard the rest of humanity: enemies in war, friends in peace.

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 Britain, 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.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, are assembled in General Congress. We appeal to the Supreme Judge of the world to judge the rightness of our intentions. In the name and by the authority of the good people of these Colonies, we solemnly announce and declare: These United Colonies are, and rightfully ought to be, Free and Independent States. These States are freed from all allegiance to the British Crown. All political ties between these States and the State of Great Britain are, and ought to be, completely dissolved. As Free and Independent States, these States have full power to wage war, make peace, form alliances, and establish trade. These States also have full power to do all other things that Independent States may rightfully do. To support this Declaration, we firmly trust in the protection of Divine Providence. With that trust, we pledge to one another our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.