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THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, by the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA in Congrefs affembled.

THURSDAY July 4, 1776.

WHEN, in the courfe of human events, it becomes necessary 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 entitle them, a decent refpect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the deparation.

We hold these truths to be felf 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 purfuit of happinefs.--- That to fecure thefe rights, governments are inftituted among men, deriving their juft powers from the content of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes deftructive of thefe ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to infitute 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 eftablished, should 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 themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and ufurpations, purfuing invariably the fame object, evinces a de-. fign to reduce them under abfolute defpotifm, 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 these colonies; and fuch is now the neceffity which conftrains them to alter their former fyftems of government. The history of the prefent king of Great-Britain is a history of repeated injuries and ufurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an abfolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be fubmitted to a Candid world.

He has refufed his affent to laws the moft wholefome and neceffary for the public good. He has forbidden his governors to pafs laws of immediate and preffing importance, unlefs fufpended in their operation till his affent fhould be obtained; and when to fufpended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

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He has refused to pafs other laws for the accommodation of large diftricts of people, unlefs those people would relinquish the right of reprefentation in 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 depofitory of their public records, for the fale purpofe of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has diffolved reprefentative houses repeatedly, for oppofing with manly firmness, his invafions on the rights of the people.

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

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these ftates; for that purpofe obftructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refufing to pass 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 swarms of officers to harrafs our people, and eat out their substance.

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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 subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our conflitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his affent 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 fhould commit on the inhabitants of thefe ftates:

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 benefits of trial by jury:

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

For abolishing the free fyftem of English laws in a neighbouring province, establish ing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, fo as to render it at once an example and fit inftrument for introduceing the fame abfolute rule into these colonies: For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For fufpending our own legiflatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legiflate for us in all cafes whatfoever.

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 destroyed 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 nation.

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 amorft us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless indian favages, whofe known rule of warfare is an andiftinguished destruction, of all ages, fexes, and conditions.

In every ftage 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, whole character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the tuler 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 jurif diction over us. We have reminded them of the circumftances of our emigration and fettlement here. We have appealed to their native juftice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to difavow these ufurpations, which would Inevitably interrupt our connexions and correfpondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of confanguinity. We muft, therefore, acquiefce in the neceffity, which denounces our feparation, and hold then, 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 CONGRESS affembled, appealing to the fupreme judge of the world for the re&itude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of thefe colonies, folemnly publifh and declare, That thefe United Colonies are, and of tight ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are Abfolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connexion between hem and the state of Great-Britain, is, and ought to be, totally diffolved; and that as TREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full power to levy war, nslude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things Eich INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do. And for the fupport 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 facred honour.

The foregoing declaration was by order of Congress engroffed and figned by the members from the feyerak

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ARTICLE S

OF Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of
New-Hampfire, Maffachufetts-Bay, Rhode-Ifiand and Pro-
vidence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Caroli-
na, South-Carolina and Georgia,

Stile of the

ARTICLE I. THE ftile of this confederacy fhail be " The United States Confederacy.

"of America."

ART. II. EACH ftate retains its fovereignty, freedom and independence, Sovereignty and Indepen

and every power, jurifdiction and right, which is not by this confederation ex- dence of tha

prefsly delegated to the United States, in Congress affembled..

refpective

ART. II. THE faid ftates hereby feverally enter into a firm league of States. friendship with each other, for their common defence, the fecurity of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themfelves to affift each Design of the other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, Confederation account of religion, fovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever. on, as it reART. IV. THE better to fecure and perpetuate mutual friendship and in- gards com. tercourfe among the people of the different ftates in this union, the free inhabi- mon fecurity. tants of each of thefe ftates, paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from juftice ex- Social and cepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of free citizens in the mutual interfeveral fates; and the people of each ftate fhall have free ingrefs and regrefs to courfe among and from any other flate, and thall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and the States, commerce, fubject to the fame duties, impofitions and restrictions as the inhabiLants thereof relpectively, provided that fuch refiriction shall not extend fo far. as to prevent the removal of property imported into any state, to any other state of which the owner is an inhabitant; provided alfo that no impofition, duties or reftriction thall be laid by any ftate, on the property of the United States, or

either of theni.

If any perfon guilty of, or charged with treafon, felony, or other high milde. meanor in any flate, thall flee from jultice, and be found in any of the United States, he hall upon demand of the Governor, or executive power, of the state> from which he fled, be delivered up and removed to the state having jurifdiction of his offence,

Manner of

FULL faith and credit shall be given in each of these states to the records, acts and judicial proceedings of the courts and magistrates of every other state. ART. V. FOR the more convenient management of the general interefts conftituting of the United States, delegates fhall be annually appointed in fuch manner as the Congrefs the legislature of each fate fhail direct, to meet in Congrefs on the first Monday of the states, with the quain November, in every year, with a power referved to each ftate, to recall its lifications & delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to fend others in privileges of their ftead, for the remainder of the year. the Delegates

No state fhall be reprefented in Congrefs by lefs than two, nor by more than feven members; and no perfon fhall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years, in any term of fix years; nor fhall any perfon being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or another for his benefit receives any falary, fees or emolument of any kind.

EACH ftate fhall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the ftates, and while they act as members of the committee of the ftates.

In determining questions in the United States, in Congrefs affembled, each ftate fhall have one vote.

FREEDOM of speech and debate in Congrefs fhall not be impeached or quef

Restraints

tioned in any court, or place cut of Congress, and the members of Congress fhall be protected in their perfons from arrefts and imprisonments, during the time of their going to and from, and attendance on Congrefs, except for treafon, felony, or breach of the peace.

ART. VI. No ftate without the confent of the United States in Congress upon the fe- affembled, thall fend any embaffy to, or receive any embaffy from, or enter inparate States. to any conference, agreement, alliance or treaty with any king, prince or state;

nor shall any person holding any office of profit or truft under the United States or any of them, accept of any prefent, emolument, office or title of any kind whatever from any king, prince or foreign state; nor fhall the United States in Congrefs affembled, or any of them, grant any title of nobility.

No two or more ftates-fhall enter into any treaty, confederation or alliance whatever between them, without the confent of the United States in Congress affembled, specifying accurately the purposes for which the fame is to be entered into, and how long it fhall continue.

No ftate fhall lay any impolts or duties, which may interfere with any ftipulations in treaties, entered into by the United States in Congress affembled, with any king, prince or ftate, in purfuance of any treaties already propofed by Congrefs, to the courts of France and Spain.

No veffels of war fhall be kept up in time of peace by any state, except fuch number only, as fhall be deemed neceffary by the United States in Congress affembled, for the defence of such state, or its trade; nor fhall any body of forces be kept up by any ftate, in time of peace, except fuch number only, as in the judgment of the United States, in Congrefs affembled, fhall be deemed requifite to garrison the forts neceffary for the defence of fuch ftate; but every ftate fhall always keep up a well regulated and difciplined militia, fufficiently armed and accoutred, and fhall provide and conftantly have ready for ufe, in public ftores, a due number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage.

No ftate fhall engage in any war without the confent of the United States in Congrefs aflembled, unless fuch ftate be actually invaded by enemies, or fhail have received certain advice of a refolution being formed by fome nation of Indians to invade such state, and the danger is fo eminent as not to admit of a delay, till the United States in Congrefs affembled can be confulted: nor fhall any state grant commiffions to any hips or veffels of war, nor letters of marque or reprifal, except it be after a declaration of war by the United States in Congrefs affembled, and then only against the kingdom or itate and the subjects thereof, against which war has been fo declared, and under fuch regulations as fhail be established by the United States in Congrefs affembled, unless fuch ftate be infefted by pirates, in which cafe veffels of war may be fitted out for that Mixt Rights occafion, and kept fo long as the danger fhall continue, or until the United of Congrefs States in Congrefs affembled fhall determine otherwife,

and the fepa

rate States.

Manner of defraying public Ex

pences.

Powers of
Congress.

ART. VII. WHEN land-forces are raised by any ftate for the common defence, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, fhall be appointed by the legiflature of each ftate refpectively, by whom fuch forces fhall be railed, or in fuch manner as fuch ftate fhall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the ftate which first made the appointment.

ART. VIII. ALL charges of war, and all other expences that shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress affembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which fhall be fupplied by the feveral ftates, in proportion to the value of all land within each state, granted to or furveyed for any perfon, as fuch land and the buildings and improvements thereon fhall be eftimated according to fuch mode as the United States in Congrefs affembled, fhall from time to time direct and appoint. The taxes for paying that proportion fhall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the several states within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress affembled.

ART. IX. THE United States in Congrefs affembled, fhall have the fole and exclufive right and power of determining on peace and war, except in the

cases mentioned in the fixth article---of fending and receiving ambassadors. entering into treaties and alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce fhall be made whereby the legislative power of the refpective states fhall be reftrained from impofing fuch impofts and duties on foreigners, as their own peopie are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or importation of any fpecies of goods or commodities whatsoever---of eftablishing rules for deciding. in all cafes, what captures on land or water fhall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval forces in the fervice of the United States shall be divided or appropriated--of granting letters of marque and reprifal in times. of peace--appointing courts for the trial of piracies and felonies committed on the high feas, and establishing courts for receiving and determining finally ap peals in all cafes of captures, provided that no member of Congrefs fhall be ap pointed a judge of any of the faid courts,

THE United States in Congress affembled shall also be the last refort on appeal in all difputes and differences now fubfifting, or that hereafter may arise between two or more states concerning boundary, jurisdiction, or any other caufe whatever; which authority shall always be exercifed in the manner fol lowing: Whenever the legislative or executive authority or lawful agent of any itate in controverfy with another fhall prefent a petition to congrefs ftating the matter in question, and praying for a hearing, notice thereof shall be given, by order of Congrefs, to the legislative or executive authority of the other ftate in controverfy, and a day affigned for the appearance of the parties by their lawful agents, who shall then be directed to appoint, by joint confent, commiffioners or judges to conftitute a court for hearing and determining the matter in queftion; but if they cannot agree, Congrefs fhall name three persons out of each of the United States, and from the lift of such persons each party shall alternately ftrike out one, the petitioners beginning, until the number shall be reduced to thirteen; and from that number not less than seven, nor more than nine names, as Congrefs fhall direct, fhall, in the prefence of the Congrefs, be drawn out by lot; and the perfons whofe names fhall be fo drawn, or any five of them, fhall be commiffioners or judges, to hear and finally determine the controverfy, fo always as a major part of the judges who fhail hear the caufe fhall agree in the determination: And if either party shall neglect to attend at the dy appointed, without fhewing reasons, which Congrefs fhall judge fufficient, or being prefent fhall refufe to ftrike, the Congrefs fhall proceed to nominate three perfons out of each state, and the fecretary of Congrefs fhall ftrike in behalf of such party abfent or refufing; and the judgment and fentence of the court to be appointed, in the manner before prefcribed, fhall be final and conclufive; and if any of the parties fhall refuse to submit to the authority of fuch court, or to appear to defend their claim or cause, the court fhall nevertheless" proceed to pronounce fentence, or judgment, which shall in like manner be final and decifive, the judgment or fentence and other proceedings being in either cafe tranfmitted to Congrefs, and lodged among the acts of Congress for the fecurity of the parties concerned: provided that every commiffioner, before he fits in judgment, fhall take an oath to be adminiftred by one of the judges of the fupreme or fuperior court of the state, where the cause shall be tried, "well and truly to hear and determine the matter in queftion, according to the beft of his judgment, without favour, affection or hope of reward:" provided alfo that no ftate fhall be deprived of territory for the benefit of the United Яtates.

ALL controverfies concerning the private right of foil claimed under different grants of two or more ftates, whofe jurifdictions as they may respect fuch lands, and the states which paffed fuch grants are adjusted, the faid grants or either of them being at the fame time claimed to have originated antecedent to fuch fettlement of jurifdiction, shall on the petition of either party to the Congress of, the United States, be finally determined as near as may be in the fame manner as is before prescribed for deciding difputes respecting territorial jurisdiction between different ftates.

THE United Sates in Congrefs affembled fhall alfo have the fole and exclu

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