for taking away our cha charters, Valtering fundamentally the forms of our governements, our own for susponding legislate for us in bezislatives & declaring themselves invested with power t us in all cases whatsoever by declaring no out of his protection Quasing was against he has abdicated government here, [withdrawing his governors, & declaring of his allegiance & protection:] he has plundered our seas, ravaged lives of our people: us out our coasts, burnt our towns & destroyed the he is at this time transporting large Scolch and other f foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death desolation & tyranny, already begun with circumstances scarcely paralleled in the more hart arous ages and totally he has on inietty be perfidy unworthy the head of a civilized nation. excited domestic insurrections amongst us and has he has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destriction of all ages, sexes, & conditions [of existence.] The has incited treasonable insurrections of our fellow-citizens with the were allurements of forfeiture & confixation of our he ha constrained others he has wages our property & their church why the high read to veas an war against human nature itself, violating it's most sa -cred rights of life &liberty in the persons of a distant people who never of fended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemis sphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither, this piratical warfare the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian king of Great Britain [determined to keep opena market where MEN should be bought & vold he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative atterry, t to prohibit or to restrain this determining takeep opon a market where MFA koulette bought robes: execrable commerce: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fait very people to use in arm of distinguished de, he is now by murdering the people upon against Иморгаугу off former crimes committed the liberties of one people, with crimes " these oppressions" we have petitioned for redress in the most humble i only on every stage of these oppressions" terns, our repeated petitions have been answered by repeated injurïs. a prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit mean to be free" future ages will scarce believé that the hardiness of one man, advenhired within the short compass of twelve years to a foundation to broad & undisguised, for tyranny free to be the meter of a people. [who only, yogarty at boot, over a peoplé fostered & fixes in principle of Extrading", freedom.] Nor have we been wanting : diction over us tentions to our British brethren: we have one an unwarrantable a juris warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to exchend a [these our states], we have reminded them of the circumstances of · emigration & settlement here, [no of which could warrant so change a pretension: that these were effected at the expence of our own blood & treasure, unassisted by the wealth or the strength of. Great Poritain: that in constitcting indeed our several forms of government, we had adopted one common king, thereby laying a foundation for perpetual league & amity with them: but that submission to their part of our constitution, nor ever in idea if history may be credited: and we appealed to their native justice & magnanimity [as well as to the ties would inevitably. sjour common kindred to disavow these usurpations which were likely to interrupt our correspondence. Dconnection. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice & parliament was no connection & have We must therofore & we have comused themby I consanguinity. & when occasions have been given them, by the regular their laws, of removing from their councils the disturbers of our harmony, they have by their free election re-established them in power. at this very time too they are permitting their chief magisbate to send over not only soldiers of our common destroy us. blood, but Scotch & foreign mercenaries to invade & gland. These fict 1 have given the last stab to agonizing affection, and manly spirit bids us tox. -nounce for ever these unfeeling brethren, we must endeavor to forget our former love for them, and to hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends we might have been a free & a great people together; but a commu • necation of grandeur & of freedom it seems is belowe their dignity, be it so since they will have it: the road to you happiness, is open to us too; we will come it apart from them, We must these & to glory not de treap a sopwentity tarts, and acquiesce in the necessity wit of mankind enemies on war, is peace which pronounces our best Cartery dax External separation! ер hereafter colonis we utterly toome heretofore sub. We therefore the representatives of the United States of America in General Conappealing to to the ruiming judge of the worked for the rectitude of our intentions -gress assembled, do in the name of by authority of the good people of these [shates]] [reject and renounce all allegiance Youbjection to the kings of Great Britain &all others who may claim by, through, or under them; dissolve I break off all political connection which may -sisted between us & the people or parliament of Great Britain; and finally we do assent and declare these colonies to be free and independant states, and that as Ace & independant shades they shall horse offer have power to levy was tutates full the conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commence, & to do all thes acts and things which independant. may of Kight do. And for support of this declaration] we mutually pledge to each other our formenes, & our sacred honour. lives, our John Hancock Benf. Franklor Joseph Hewes Лот Ролад Sammoh Chase James Wils In Rich Workton ہے John Pinn (no Witherspoale The Stone John Hart, Gro Taylor Tras Hopkinson Abra Clark Phish. Livingston Lyman Halle, Carter Braxton Bony Harnoon Edward Royer Sherman Arthur Mead AhharlesCanoll Harrollton Meddleton George Wythe Set Smithe Sam "Huntington Josiah Bartlet m Oliver holis 1. Whipple John Adams |