The Declaration of Independence By Thomas Jefferson

All sections in italics are from the original document.

1. In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America, 2. When, throughout history, it becomes necessary for one group of people to cut off the political ties that connect them with another group of people, and for the new nation to establish a new government based on the Laws of Nature and of Natures God entitle them, it is common courtesy to tell them why they are leaving. 3. We believe these ideas: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. 4. To make sure these rights are preserved, governments are established by the citizens and its power comes from those same citizens. 5. When a government does not protect, or even hurts, those rights the people have the duty to get rid of that government and start a new one that they think will best protect their rights. It is important to remember people should not do this for small or petty reasonsthis is a last resort. Also, history has shown us that people usually stay under bad governments instead of getting rid of them and starting a new one. But with the long list of political abuse by the King and his Parliament it is clear that our rights have been violated enough to start our own new government and end all of our ties to you. We are not doing this because we want to but because your actions have forced us into this position. To prove this point I will now list a number of infractions by the King and Parliament that will show the need for a new government in this new world. 6. The King has refused to give us laws that are for the good of the public. 7. He would not let our leaders pass important laws that were needed. 8. He would pass some laws only if we would give up some of our representation in the Parliamentthis is something only a tyrant would do. 9. He would call legislatures together in odd, far off places so the citizens could not see what they were doing. Then he would not allow them to return home until they did what he wanted. 10. He would stop all legislatures that would not do what he wanted. 11. He would stop elections so we could not put anyone into office. 12. He would unjustly prevent foreigners from entering this land by obstructing our Naturalization process. 13. He would fire or not pay judges who would not do what he wanted. 14. He would create new government positions and send his people over to serve in them. These new officers would harass our population. 15. He has kept his army here without our permission.

16. He has made his army make us follow laws that were not ours. He did this by: 17. Making us quarter (keep) his soldiers in our houses. 18. Protecting his soldiers by having a fake trial if they had committed a murder. 19. Not allowing us to trade with other countries. 20. Giving us taxes without our permission. 21. Not allowing us to have a fair trial by jury. 22. Making us travel to England to be put on trial for phony charges. 23. Increasing our land into the frontier and also treating them unfairly. 24. Taking away our most important laws and changing our political institution. 25. Stopping our legislatures and putting his own people in there with legislative power. 26. He has shut down our government, saying it did not belong to him, and starting a war with us. 27. He has harassed our ships, off our very own coast, with his Navy. They have also burned many towns, devastating the lives of many of our citizens. 28. He is now sending his Army troops here to complete his work of death, destruction, and tyranny that he has begun that rival the most evil acts from the worst governments in history, and this is totally uncalled for by a leader of a civilized nation. 29. He has forced our citizens, who have been captured at sea, to fight in his army against us or be killed. 30. He has attempted to stir up conflicts between us and the merciless Indian Savages, on the frontier whose rules for warfare is a total destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. 31. For each of these above offenses we have sent a petition to help correct these wrongs and the only response we get is a continuation of the same actions. The King, who has repeatedly acted like a tyrant, is unfit to rule a free group of people. 32. This is not the first time we have told you, the people of England, of these problems. We have warned you of the attempts by your King and Parliament to force these unfair laws and false authority on us. We have reminded you of the circumstances of our settlement of this new land. We thought that our common heritage would be of some value, but you have also not responded to any of our pleas for justice. We must now consider you, who oppose our separation, as our enemies in war and our friends in peace. 33. We, the representatives of the 2nd Continental Congress, now declare that, by the authority of the good people of these colonies, these united colonies are now free and independent states, and all allegiances to our former King and the government of England is now

over. We now have the right to declare war, establish treaties, make alliances with other nations, establish our economy, and do anything else a free nation might do. 34. To show our support for this Declaration, with a faith in the protection of our Creator, we pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.