repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince,

relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right

publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to

provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient

principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem

population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for

plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the

paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a

over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and

out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing

our sacred Honor.

our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering

offences: For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring

of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine

of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and

of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to

of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation

of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction

neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the

necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws

most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will

migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of

mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to

lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of

legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the

introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away

into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses

inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together

fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own

from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the

foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and

for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by

executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their

endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless

dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and

dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light

destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to

destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these

depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them

dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the

denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind,

declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has

cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on

correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of

constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history

constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their

consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes

consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which

combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our

civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on