The Declaration of Independence
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 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-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.
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 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 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 dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing 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 mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the 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 erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers, to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
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 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 in 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 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 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 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.
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.
Nor have We been wanting 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 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, 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 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.
The Signers of the Declaration of Independence
| Name | Born-Died | Birthplace | Colony Represented | Profession | Later Achievements |
| John Adams | 1735–1826 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts | Lawyer | Vice-president of U.S. 1789–1797; President of U.S. 1797–1801 |
| Samuel Adams | 1722–1803 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts | Businessman | Governor of Massachusetts 1794–1797 |
| Josiah Bartlett | 1729–1795 | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | Physician | Governor of New Hampshire 1793–1794 |
| Carter Braxton | 1736–1797 | Virginia | Virginia | Planter | Member of Virginia Council of State 1786–1791, 1794–1797 |
| Charles Carroll | 1737–1832 | Maryland | Maryland | Lawyer-Planter | U.S. Senator from Maryland 1789–1792 |
| Samuel Chase | 1741–1811 | Maryland | Maryland | Lawyer | Associate Justice, Supreme Court of U.S. 1796–1811 |
| Abraham Clark | 1726–1794 | New Jersey | New Jersey | Politician | U.S. Rep. from New Jersey 1791–1794 |
| George Clymer | 1739–1813 | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Banker | Signed U.S. Constitution; U.S. Rep. from Pennsylvania 1789–1791 |
| William Ellery | 1727–1820 | Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Lawyer | Collector of Customs, Newport, R.I. 1790–1820 |
| William Floyd | 1734–1821 | New York | New York | Farmer | U.S. Rep. from New York 1789–1791 |
| Benjamin Franklin | 1706–1790 | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania | Publisher | Signed U.S. Constitution |
| Elbridge Gerry | 1744–1814 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts | Merchant | Vice-president of U.S. 1813–1814 |
| Button Gwinnett | 1735(?)–1777 | England | Georgia | Merchant | Acting President of Georgia 1777 |
| Lyman Hall | 1724–1790 | Connecticut | Georgia | Physician | Governor of Georgia 1783 |
| John Hancock | 1737–1793 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts | Merchant | Governor of Massachusetts 1780–1785, 1787–1793 |
| Benjamin Harrison | 1726–1791 | Virginia | Virginia | Planter | Governor of Virginia 1781–1784 |
| John Hart | 1711(?)–1779 | Connecticut | New Jersey | Farmer | Died before Independence was won |
| Joseph Hewes | 1730–1779 | New Jersey | North Carolina | Merchant | First executive head of American navy |
| Thomas Heyward, Jr. | 1746–1809 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Lawyer | Artillery officer during Revolutionary War, captured and imprisoned by British |
| William Hooper | 1742–1790 | Massachusetts | North Carolina | Lawyer | North Carolina State legislator 1777–1782 |
| Stephen Hopkins | 1707–1785 | Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Merchant | Delegate to the Continental Congress 1778 |
| Francis Hopkinson | 1737–1791 | Pennsylvania | New Jersey | Lawyer | Said to have designed U.S. Flag 1777, U.S. District Court judge 1789–1791 |
| Samuel Huntington | 1731–1796 | Connecticut | Connecticut | Lawyer | President of Continental Congress 1779–1781, Governor of Connecticut 1786–1796 |
| Thomas Jefferson | 1743–1826 | Virginia | Virginia | Planter-Lawyer | U.S. Secretary of State 1789–1793, Vice-President of U.S. 1797–1801, President of U.S. 1801–1809 |
| Francis Lightfoot Lee | 1734–1797 | Virginia | Virginia | Planter | Delegate to Continental Congress 1775–1779 |
| Richard Henry Lee | 1732–1794 | Virginia | Virginia | Planter | President of Continental Congress 1784, U.S. Senator from Virginia 1789–1792 |
| Francis Lewis | 1713–1802 | Wales | New York | Merchant | Retired |
| Philip Livingston | 1716–1778 | New York | New York | Merchant | Died before Independence was won |
| Thomas Lynch, Jr. | 1749–1779 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Planter-Lawyer | Died before Independence was won |
| Thomas McKean | 1734–1817 | Pennsylvania | Delaware | Lawyer | Governor of Pennsylvania 1799–1808 |
| Arthur Middleton | 1742–1787 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Lawyer-Planter | Militia officer during Revolutionary War, captured and imprisoned by British |
| Lewis Morris | 1726–1798 | New York | New York | Landowner | Major general in state militia during Revolutionary War |
| Robert Morris | 1734–1806 | England | Pennsylvania | Financier | Signed U.S. Constitution, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania 1789–1795 |
| John Morton | 1724–1777 | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Farmer | Died before Independence was won |
| Thomas Nelson | 1738–1789 | Virginia | Virginia | Planter-Merchant | Commander-in-chief of state militia in Revolutionary War, Governor of Virginia 1781 |
| William Paca | 1740–1799 | Maryland | Maryland | Lawyer | Governor of Maryland 1782–1785, U.S. District Court judge 1789–1799 |
| Robert Treat Paine | 1731–1814 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts | Lawyer | Massachusetts Supreme Court justice 1790–1804 |
| John Penn | 1740–1788 | Virginia | North Carolina | Lawyer | Retired by ill health |
| George Read | 1733–1798 | Maryland | Delaware | Lawyer | Signed U.S. Constitution, U.S. Senator 1789–1793, Chief Justice of Delaware 1793–1798 |
| Caesar Rodney | 1728–1784 | Delaware | Delaware | Planter | Commanded state militia in Revolutionary War, President of Delaware 1778–1781 |
| George Ross | 1730–1779 | Delaware | Pennsylvania | Lawyer | Admiralty judge of Pennsylvania 1779 |
| Benjamin Rush | 1745–1813 | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Physician | Treasurer of U.S. Mint 1797–1813 |
| Edward Rutledge | 1749–1800 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Planter-Lawyer | Governor of South Carolina 1798–1800 |
| Roger Sherman | 1721–1793 | Massachusetts | Connecticut | Merchant-Lawyer | Signed U.S. Constitution, U.S. Senator from Connecticut 1791–1793 |
| James Smith | 1719(?)–1806 | Ireland | Pennsylvania | Lawyer | Pennsylvania Court of Appeals judge 1781 |
| Richard Stockton | 1730–1781 | New Jersey | New Jersey | Lawyer | Imprisoned by British during Revolutionary War |
| Thomas Stone | 1743–1787 | Maryland | Maryland | Lawyer | Helped frame Articles of Confederation |
| George Taylor | 1716–1781 | Ireland | Pennsylvania | Iron-maker | Retired by ill health |
| Matthew Thornton | 1714(?)–1803 | Ireland | New Hampshire | Physician | Associate justice of New Hampshire Superior Court |
| George Walton | 1741–1804 | Virginia | Georgia | Lawyer | U.S. Senator from Georgia 1795–1796 |
| William Whipple | 1730–1785 | Maine | New Hampshire | Merchant | Brigadier general during Revolutionary War |
| William Williams | 1731–1811 | Connecticut | Connecticut | Merchant | Helped frame Articles of Confederation |
| James Wilson | 1742–1798 | Scotland | Pennsylvania | Lawyer | Signed U.S. Constitution, Associate justice of Supreme Court of U.S. 1789–1798 |
| John Witherspoon | 1723–1794 | Scotland | New Jersey | Clergyman | President, College of New Jersey (now Princeton) |
| Oliver Wolcott | 1726–1797 | Connecticut | Connecticut | Politician-Soldier | Governor of Connecticut 1796–1797 |
| George Wythe | 1726–1806 | Virginia | Virginia | Lawyer | First professor of law in America, Chancellor of Virginia 1786–1806 |