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XLV
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The delegates of the United Colonies of New Hampshire; Mas-
sachusetts Bay; Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; Con-
necticut; New York; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; New Castle,
Kent, and Sussex, in Delaware; Maryland; Virginia; North Caro-
lina, and South Carolina, In Congress assembled at Philadelphia,
Resolved on the 10th of May, 1776, to recommend to the respec-
tive assemblies and conventions of the United Colonies, where no
government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs had been
established, to adopt such a government as should, in the opin-
ion of the representatives of the people, best conduce to the hap-
piness and safety of their constituents in particular, and of
America in general. A preamble to this resolution, agreed to on
the 15th of May, stated the intention to be totally to suppress
the exercise of every kind of authority under the British crown.
On the 7th of June, certain resolutions respecting independency
were moved and seconded. On the 10th of June it was resolved,
that a committee should be appointed to prepare a declaration
to the following effect: ‘‘That the United Colonies are, and of
right ought to be, free and independent States; that they are ab-
solved from all allegiance to the British crown; and that all po-
litical connection between them and the State of Great Britain
is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.’’ On the preceding day it
was determined that the committee for preparing the declara-
tion should consist of five, and they were chosen accordingly, in
the following order: Mr. Jefferson, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Franklin,
Mr. Sherman, Mr. R. R. Livingston. On the 11th of June a resolu-
tion was passed to appoint a committee to prepare and digest
the form of a confederation to be entered into between the colo-
nies, and another committee to prepare a plan of treaties to be
proposed to foreign powers. On the 12th of June, it was resolved,
that a committee of Congress should be appointed by the name
of a board of war and ordnance, to consist of five members. On
the 25th of June, a declaration of the deputies of Pennsylvania,
met in provincial conference, expressing their willingness to
concur in a vote declaring the United Colonies free and inde-
pendent States, was laid before Congress and read. On the 28th
of June, the committee appointed to prepare a declaration of
independence brought in a draught, which was read, and ordered
to lie on the table. On the 1st of July, a resolution of the conven-
tion of Maryland, passed the 28th of June, authorizing the depu-
ties of that colony to concur in declaring the United Colonies
free and independent States, was laid before Congress and read.
On the same day Congress resolved itself into a committee of the
whole, to take into consideration the resolution respecting inde-
pendency. On the 2d of July, a resolution declaring the colonies
free and independent States, was adopted. A declaration to that
effect was, on the same and the following days, taken into fur-
ther consideration. Finally, on the 4th of July, the Declaration
of Independence was agreed to, engrossed on paper, signed by
John Hancock as president, and directed to be sent to the sev-
eral assemblies, conventions, and committees, or councils of
safety, and to the several commanding officers of the continen-
tal troops, and to be proclaimed in each of the United States,
and at the head of the Army. It was also ordered to be entered
upon the Journals of Congress, and on the 2d of August, a copy
engrossed on parchment was signed by all but one of the fifty-
six signers whose names are appended to it. That one was Mat-
thew Thornton, of New Hampshire, who on taking his seat in No-
vember asked and obtained the privilege of signing it. Several
who signed it on the 2d of August were absent when it was adopt-
ed on the 4th of July, but, approving of it, they thus signified
their approbation.
N
OTE
.—The proof of this document, as published above, was
read by Mr. Ferdinand Jefferson, the Keeper of the Rolls at the
Department of State, at Washington, who compared it with the
fac-simile of the original in his custody. He says: ‘‘In the fac-
simile, as in the original, the whole instrument runs on without
a break, but dashes are mostly inserted. I have, in this copy, fol-
lowed the arrangement of paragraphs adopted in the publication
of the Declaration in the newspaper of John Dunlap, and as
printed by him for the Congress, which printed copy is inserted
in the original Journal of the old Congress. The same paragraphs
are also made by the author, in the original draught preserved
in the Department of State.’’
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE—1776
1
I
N
C
ONGRESS
, J
ULY
4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united
States of America
W
HEN
in the Course of human events, it be-
comes 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 man-
kind 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 en-
dowed 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 Gov-
ernment 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. Pru-
dence, indeed, will dictate that Governments
long established should not be changed for light
and transient causes; and accordingly all experi-
ence hath shewn, that mankind are more dis-
posed 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 invari-
ably 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 secu-
rity.—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 re-
peated injuries and usurpations, all having in di-
rect object the establishment of an absolute
Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let
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 sus-
pended in their operation till his Assent should
be obtained; and when so suspended, he has ut-
terly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the ac-
commodation of large districts of people, unless
those people would relinquish the right of Rep-
resentation in the Legislature, a right inestima-
ble to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at
places unusual, uncomfortable, and distance
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