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

causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be

cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of

candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and

be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance

attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time

as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude

and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow

and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that

and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support

amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New

among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any

accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would

abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to

WILLIAM WILLIAMS - CONNECTICUT

WILLIAM WHIPPLE - NEW HAMPSHIRE

WILLIAM PACA - MARYLAND

WILLIAM HOOPER - NORTH CAROLINA

WILLIAM FLOYD - NEW YORK

WILLIAM ELLERY - RHODE ISLAND

Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a

Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended

THOMAS STONE - MARYLAND

THOMAS NELSON JR. - VIRGINIA

THOMAS MCKEAN - DELAWARE

THOMAS LYNCH JR. - SOUTH CAROLINA

THOMAS JEFFERSON - VIRGINIA

THOMAS HEYWARD JR. - SOUTH CAROLINA

THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES

State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion