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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 legislatures。
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to
the Civil power。
He has bined 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 mit 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 into t hese 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
pleat 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 H ead of a civilized nation。
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to
bear Arms against their Country； to bee 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 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 sett lement here。 We have appealed to
their native justice and magnanimity； and we have conjured them by the
ties of our mon kindred to disavow these usurpations； which would
inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence。 They too have
been deaf t o 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 Bri
tain； 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 merce； and to do all other Acts and
Things which Independent States may of right do。 An d 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。
JOHN HANCOCK； President
Attested； CHARLES THOMSON； Secretary
New Hampshire： JOSIAH BARTLETT； WILLIAM WHIPPLE； MATTHEW THORNTON
Massachusetts…Bay： SAMUEL ADAMS； JOHN ADAMS； ROBERT TREAT PAINE； ELBRIDGE
GERRY
Rhode Island： STEPHEN HOPKINS； WILLIAM ELLERY
Connecticut： ROGER SHERMAN； SAMUEL HUNTINGTON； WILLIAM WILLIAMS； OLIVER
WOLCOTT
Georgia： BUTTON GWINNETT； LYMAN HALL； GEO。 WALTON
Maryland： SAMUEL CHASE； WILLIAM PACA； THOMAS STONE； CHARLES CARROLL OF
CARROLLTON
Virginia： GEORGE WYTHE； RICHARD HENRY LEE； THOMAS JEFFERSON； BENJAMIN
HARRISON； THOMAS NELSON； JR。； FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE； CARTER BRAXTON。
New York： WILLIAM FLOYD； PHILIP LIVINGSTON； FRANCIS LEWIS； LEWIS MORRIS
Pennsylvania： ROBERT MORRIS； BENJAMIN RUSH； BENJAMIN FRANKLIN； JOHN
MORTON； GEORGE CLYMER； JAMES SMITH； GEORGE TAYLOR； JAMES WILSON； GEORGE
ROSS
Delaware： CAESAR RODNEY； GEORGE READ； THOMAS M'KEAN
North Carolina： WILLIAM HOOPER； JOSEPH HEWES； JOHN PENN
South Carolina： EDWARD RUTLEDGE； THOMAS HEYWARD； JR。； THOMAS LYNCH； JR。；
ARTHUR MIDDLETON
New Jersey： RICHARD STOCKTON； JOHN WITHERSPOON； FRANCIS HOPKINS； JOHN
HART； ABRAHAM CLARK
Prepared by Gerald Murphy （The Cleveland Free…Net … aa300）
Distributed by the Cybercasting Services Division of the National Public
Teleputing Network （NPTN）。