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combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution , and unacknowledged by our laws ; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation : For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us For protecting them , by a mock Trial , from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States : For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world : For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent : For depriving us in many cases , of the benefits of Trial by Jury : For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province , establishing therein an Arbitrary government , and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies : For taking away our Charters , abolishing our most valuable Laws , and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments : For suspending our own Legislatures , and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever . — He has abdicated Government here , by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us . — He has plundered our seas , ravaged our Coasts , burnt our towns , and destroyed the lives of our people . He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death , desolation and tyranny , already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages , and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation . — He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country , to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren , or to fall themselves by their Hands . — He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us , and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers , the merciless Indian Savages , whose known rule of warfare , is an undistinguished destruction of all ages , sexes and conditions .
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms : Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury . A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant , is unfit to be the ruler of a free people .
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren . We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us . We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here . We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity , and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations , which , would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence . They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity . We must , therefore , acquiesce in the necessity , which denounces our Separation , and hold them , as we hold the rest of mankind , Enemies in War , in Peace Friends .
We , therefore , the Representatives of the united States of America , in General Congress , Assembled , appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions , do , in the Name , and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies , solemnly publish and declare , That these United Colonies are , and of Right ought
to be Free and Independent States ; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown , and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain , is and ought to be totally dissolved ; and that as Free and Independent States , they have full Power to levy War , conclude Peace , contract Alliances , establish Commerce , and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do . And for the support of this Declaration , with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence , we mutually pledge to each other our Lives , our Fortunes and our sacred Honor .
© Guido Colacci 2014 :
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