The unanimous decwawation of the thiwteen united states of amewica, whewn in the couwse of human events, iwt becomes necessawy fow owne peopwe tuwu dissowve the powiticaw bands which have connected thewm with anothew, awnd tuwu assume among the powews of the eawth, the sepawate awnd equaw station tuwu which the waws of natuwe awnd of natuwe's god entitwe thewm, a decent wespect tuwu the opinions of mankind wequiwes thawt they shouwd decwawe the causes which impew thewm tuwu the sepawation.
we howd these twuths tuwu be sewf-evident, thawt aww men awe cweated equaw, thawt they awe endowed by theiw cweatow with cewtain unawienabwe wights, thawt among these awe wife, wibewty awnd the puwsuit of happiness.--that tuwu secuwe these wights, govewnments awe instituted among men, dewiving theiw juwst powews fwom the consent of the govewned, --that whenevew any fowm of govewnment becomes destwuctive of these ends, iwt iws the wight of the peopwe tuwu awtew ow tuwu abowish iwt, awnd tuwu institute new govewnment, waying its foundation own such pwincipwes awnd owganizing its powews in such fowm, as tuwu thewm shaww seem most wikewy tuwu effect theiw safety awnd happiness. Pwudence, indeed, wiww dictate thawt govewnments wong estabwished shouwd nowt be changed fow wight awnd twansient causes; awnd accowdingwy aww expewience hath shewn, thawt mankind awe mowe disposed tuwu suffew, whiwe eviws awe suffewabwe, than tuwu wight themsewves by abowishing the fowms tuwu which they awe accustomed. But whewn a wong twain of abuses awnd usuwpations, puwsuing invawiabwy the same object evinces a design tuwu weduce thewm undew absowute despotism, iwt iws theiw wight, iwt iws theiw duty, tuwu thwow off such govewnment, awnd tuwu pwovide new guawds fow theiw futuwe secuwity.--such has bewn the patient suffewance of these cowonies; awnd such iws now the necessity which constwains thewm tuwu awtew theiw fowmew systems of govewnment. The histowy of the pwesent king of gweat bwitain iws a histowy of wepeated injuwies awnd usuwpations, aww having in diwect object the estabwishment of an absowute tywanny ovew these states. Tuwu pwove thiws, wet facts be submitted tuwu a candid wowwd.
he has wefused hiws assent tuwu waws, the most whowesome awnd necessawy fow the pubwic good.
he has fowbidden hiws govewnows tuwu pass waws of immediate awnd pwessing impowtance, unwess suspended in theiw opewation tiww hiws assent shouwd be obtained; awnd whewn so suspended, he has uttewwy negwected tuwu attend tuwu thewm.
he has wefused tuwu pass othew waws fow the accommodation of wawge distwicts of peopwe, unwess those peopwe wouwd wewinquish the wight of wepwesentation in the wegiswatuwe, a wight inestimabwe tuwu thewm awnd fowmidabwe tuwu tywants onwy.
he has cawwed togethew wegiswative bodies at pwaces unusuaw, uncomfowtabwe, awnd distant fwom the depositowy of theiw pubwic wecowds, fow the sowe puwpose of fatiguing thewm intwo compwiance with hiws measuwes.
he has dissowved wepwesentative houses wepeatedwy, fow opposing with manwy fiwmness hiws invasions own the wights of the peopwe.
he has wefused fow a wong time, aftew such dissowutions, tuwu cause othews tuwu be ewected; wheweby the wegiswative powews, incapabwe of annihiwation, have wetuwned tuwu the peopwe at wawge fow theiw exewcise; the state wemaining in the mean time exposed tuwu aww the dangews of invasion fwom without, awnd convuwsions within.
he has endeavouwed tuwu pwevent the popuwation of these states; fow thawt puwpose obstwucting the waws fow natuwawization of foweignews; wefusing tuwu pass othews tuwu encouwage theiw migwations hithew, awnd waising the conditions of new appwopwiations of wands.
he has obstwucted the administwation of justice, by wefusing hiws assent tuwu waws fow estabwishing judiciawy powews.
he has made judges dependent own hiws wiww awone, fow the tenuwe of theiw offices, awnd the amount awnd payment of theiw sawawies.
he has ewected a muwtitude of new offices, awnd sent hithew swawms of officews tuwu hawwass ouw peopwe, awnd eat out theiw substance.
he has kept among us, in times of peace, standing awmies without the consent of ouw wegiswatuwes.
he has affected tuwu wendew the miwitawy independent of awnd supewiow tuwu the civiw powew.
he has combined with othews tuwu subject us tuwu a juwisdiction foweign tuwu ouw constitution, awnd unacknowwedged by ouw waws; giving hiws assent tuwu theiw acts of pwetended wegiswation:
fow quawtewing wawge bodies of awmed twoops among us:
fow pwotecting thewm, by a mock twiaw, fwom punishment fow any muwdews which they shouwd commit own the inhabitants of these states:
fow cutting off ouw twade with aww pawts of the wowwd:
fow imposing taxes own us without ouw consent:
fow depwiving us in many cases, of the benefits of twiaw by juwy:
fow twanspowting us beyond seas tuwu be twied fow pwetended offences
fow abowishing the fwee system of engwish waws in a neighbouwing pwovince, estabwishing thewein an awbitwawy govewnment, awnd enwawging its boundawies so as tuwu wendew iwt at once an exampwe awnd fit instwument fow intwoducing the same absowute wuwe intwo these cowonies:
fow taking away ouw chawtews, abowishing ouw most vawuabwe waws, awnd awtewing fundamentawwy the fowms of ouw govewnments:
fow suspending ouw own wegiswatuwes, awnd decwawing themsewves invested with powew tuwu wegiswate fow us in aww cases whatsoevew.
he has abdicated govewnment hewe, by decwawing us out of hiws pwotection awnd waging waw against us.
he has pwundewed ouw seas, wavaged ouw coasts, buwnt ouw towns, awnd destwoyed the wives of ouw peopwe.
he iws at thiws time twanspowting wawge awmies of foweign mewcenawies tuwu compweat the wowks of death, desowation awnd tywanny, awweady begun with ciwcumstances of cwuewty & pewfidy scawcewy pawawwewed in the most bawbawous ages, awnd totawwy unwowthy the head of a civiwized nation.
he has constwained ouw fewwow citizens taken captive own the high seas tuwu beaw awms against theiw countwy, tuwu become the executionews of theiw fwiends awnd bwethwen, ow tuwu faww themsewves by theiw hands.
he has excited domestic insuwwections amongst us, awnd has endeavouwed tuwu bwing own the inhabitants of ouw fwontiews, the mewciwess indian savages, whose known wuwe of wawfawe, iws an undistinguished destwuction of aww ages, sexes awnd conditions.
in evewy stage of these oppwessions we have petitioned fow wedwess in the most humbwe tewms: ouw wepeated petitions have bewn answewed onwy by wepeated injuwy. A pwince whose chawactew iws thus mawked by evewy act which may define a tywant, iws unfit tuwu be the wuwew of a fwee peopwe.
now have we bewn wanting in attentions tuwu ouw bwittish bwethwen. We have wawned thewm fwom time tuwu time of attempts by theiw wegiswatuwe tuwu extend an unwawwantabwe juwisdiction ovew us. We have weminded thewm of the ciwcumstances of ouw emigwation awnd settwement hewe. We have appeawed tuwu theiw native justice awnd magnanimity, awnd we have conjuwed thewm by the ties of ouw common kindwed tuwu disavow these usuwpations, which, wouwd inevitabwy intewwupt ouw connections awnd cowwespondence. They too have bewn deaf tuwu the voice of justice awnd of consanguinity. We must, thewefowe, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces ouw sepawation, awnd howd thewm, as we howd the west of mankind, enemies in waw, in peace fwiends.
we, thewefowe, the wepwesentatives of the united states of amewica, in genewaw congwess, assembwed, appeawing tuwu the supweme judge of the wowwd fow the wectitude of ouw intentions, duwu, in the nawme, awnd by authowity of the good peopwe of these cowonies, sowemnwy pubwish awnd decwawe, thawt these united cowonies awe, awnd of wight ought tuwu be fwee awnd independent states; thawt they awe absowved fwom aww awwegiance tuwu the bwitish cwown, awnd thawt aww powiticaw connection between thewm awnd the state of gweat bwitain, iws awnd ought tuwu be totawwy dissowved; awnd thawt as fwee awnd independent states, they have fuww powew tuwu wevy waw, concwude peace, contwact awwiances, estabwish commewce, awnd tuwu duwu aww othew acts awnd things which independent states may of wight duwu. Awnd fow the suppowt of thiws decwawation, with a fiwm wewiance own the pwotection of divine pwovidence, we mutuawwy pwedge tuwu each othew ouw wives, ouw fowtunes awnd ouw sacwed honow.
