New sec. Old sec. 3656 3931 4027 3992 New sec. Old sec. Omit'd 4053.. 3657 3932. 4028 3993____Omit'd 4054. 3872. 3658 3933. 4029 3994__Omit'd 4055. 5767 4116. 4962 4177. 4765 3873. 3659 3934. 4030 3995 Omit'd 4056 5768 4117. 4963 4178. 2736 3874 3660 3935. Omit'd 4057 Omit'd 4118. 4964 4179. 3$75. 3661 3936. Omit'd 4058 4119. 4937 4180. 3876_ 3662 3937. 4032 3998 3912 40.59 4938 4181. 2739 3877 3663 3938. 4033 3999 3913 4060. 8340 4121 4939 4182. 2740 3878. 3664 3939. 4034 4000 2460 4061 4822 4122 4940 4183. 2741 3879. 3665 3940. 4035 4001. 2461 4062 4782 4123. .4941 | 4181. 2742 3880. 36663941. 4036 4002 - Rep'led 4063– 4783 4124. 4942 4185. 2743 3881 3667 3942. 4037 4003 Rep'led 4064. 4784 4125 4943 4186. 2711 3882 3668 391_ 2653 4004 Rep'led 4065. 4785 4126. 4944 4187 2745 8883. 3669 3944. 2651 4005 Rep'led 4066. 4786 4127. 4945 4188 2746 3884 3670 3945. 2655 4006. Rep'led 4067. 4787 4128 4946 4189. 2747 3885. 3671 3946. ,2656 Rep'led 4007 4068 1917 4190 2748 3886. 8672 3947. 2657 4008 Rep'led 4069 4789 4130 2749 3887. 3673 3948. 2658 4009 Rep'led 4070_. 4790 4131 4919 4192. 4609 3888 3674 3949. 2659 4010 Rep'led 4071 4791 4132. 4193. 4610 3889 3675 3950 2660 4011 Rep'led 4072 4792 4133. 4774 4194. 4611 3890. 3676 3951. 2661 4012 Rep'led 4073.. 4793 4134. 1775 4195. 4612 3891 3677 3952 2662 4013 Rep'led 4074. 4791 4185. 4776 4196. 4613 8892 8991 3953. 2428 4014 Rep'led 4075 4966 4136. 4777 4197 4614 3893 3992 3954. 4015. Rep'led 4076. 4967 4187 4778 4198 4615 3894 3993 3955. 2430 4016 Rep'led 4077 4968 4138 4779 4199. 4616 3895 Omit'd 3956. 2431 1017. Rep'led 4078. 696F 4139 4780 1200. Rep'led 3896 3994 3957. 2432 4018 Rep'led 4079. 4970 4140_ 4849 4201. 4602 3897 3995 3958. 3996 3959. 3899 3997 3960. 2433 4019 2434 4020 2435 4021. Repled 4080. ASB 4141. 4850 4202. 4603 Rep'led 4081. 4823 4142. 1851 4203. 4604 Rep'led 4082. 4824 4143. 4879 4204 4605 3900. 39983961. 2436 4022 Rep'led 4083 4825 4144 4880 4205. 4606 3901 3999 3962. 2437 4023. Rep'led 4084. 4826 4145 4881 4206. 4607 3902 4000 3963. 2438 4024 Rep'led 4085. 4827 4146. 4882 4207. 4608 3903 4001 3964. 2439 4025 Rep'led 3904. 4002 3965. 2110 4026 3905 4003 3966 2441 | 4027. 4086 5122 4087. 4088 5123 4831 4147 48834208. 4929 483 4148. 1831 4209. 49830 4834 4149. 2676 4210. 4931 3206 4004 3967 2442 4028. 5124 4089. 4835 4150 2677 4211 4932 3907 4005 3968. 3683 4029 5125 4090. 4836 4151 2678 4212. 4933 3908 4006 3969. 3684 4030 5126 4091 4837 4152 2679 4213. 49834 3900 4007 3970 3685 4031 5127 4092 4838 4153. 2680 4214. 4617 3910. 4008 3971 3CS6 4032. Omit'd 4093 4839 4151. 3911 4009 3972 3687 4033. 5128 4094. 4840 4155 2681 2682 3912. 40103973. 3688 4034. 5129 4095. 4841 4156. 2683 4217. 4620 3913. 4011 3974. 3689 4035. 3914. 4012 3975. 3915 4013 3976. 3916. 40141 3977. 3917 4015 3978 3918. 4016 3979. 3919 4017 3950 3690 4036 361 4037. 3692 4038. 4039. 3693 3694 4040. 4041 3695 4621 4844 4158 2685 4219. 4622 5182 4098 4845 4159. 2686 4220 3920 5133 4099 4847 4160 4748 4221 3921 5134 4100. 4848 4161 4749 4222 3922 5135 4101 4821 4162 4750 4223. 3923 5136 4102 4815 4163. 4751 4224 3924 4103. 4828 4164 4752 4225 3925 3921 4019 3982 3697 4043 א51:3. 4101 4829 4165 4753 4226. 3926 3922 4020 3983. 3698 4041. 51394105. 49514166. 5754 4227 4042 Rep'led 3984. 3699 4045. 5140 4106 4952 4167. 4755 4228 4043 3921. Rep'led 3985_ 3700 4016. 5141 4107. 4953 4168. 4756 4229 Omit'd 3925. 4021 9868 3701 39:26 4022 3987. 3927 4023 3988 4017. 8702 4048 3703 4049. _5142 4108. 5143 4109. 5144 4110. 4954 4169. 4955 4170. 4956 4171. 4757 4230____Omit'd 3928. 4024 3989. 3704 4050 5762 4111. 4957 | 4172. 4231. 4758 4759 4232 4760 4233. Omit'd Omit'd Omit'd 3929 4025 3990 3705 4051 5763 4112 4958 1173. 4761 431 4014 3930. 4026 3991 Omit'd 40.52 5764 4113. 4959 4174. 4762 4235. 4768 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. JULY 4, 1776. THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED. 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; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable 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 endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners, refusing to pass others to encourage their migration 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 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 effected 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 scas to be tried for pretended offenses: For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its bound aries, 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 government: For suspending our own legislature, 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 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 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, 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 |