Full text of the declaration of independence

In the course of human historical events, when a nation has to break the existing political ties with another nation and gain the independence and equal status among countries in the world as stipulated by the "laws of nature" and the "God of nature", there is a sincere psychology of respecting human will, which requires them to announce the reasons for forcing them to become independent.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: all men are created equal, and the creator endowed them with certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This sentence has long been a household name and has become a liberation horn echoing around the world. In order to protect these rights, people set up governments. The legitimate power of the government comes from the consent of the rulers. If any form of government becomes harmful to these purposes, then the people have the right to change it or abolish it in order to establish a new government. This new government must be based on this principle and organize its organs of power in this way, which can best promote its security and happiness in the eyes of the people. It is true that cautious psychology will dominate people's consciousness, thinking that a government with a long history should not be changed for secondary and temporary reasons; All past experience shows that as long as those evils are tolerable, human beings always prefer to endure them silently rather than abolish their accustomed political forms in order to restore their rights. However, when a government is full of evil deeds and consistently pursues this goal, it is obviously trying to suppress the people under the arrogance of absolute absolutism. The people have the right and the obligation to overthrow that government and establish new guarantees for their future security. This equally classic and incisive language expounds the founding principles of the United States and Europe's "social contract theory" in North America. ?

For the first time, this concept of founding a country was comprehensively and thoroughly expounded in such a formal political document as the Declaration of National Independence. This is why the people in our colony were silent and humiliated in the past, but now they are forced to rise up and change the original political system. The history of today's King of Great Britain (George III) is a history of forbearance and disobedience. All his measures have only one direct purpose, that is, to establish absolute autocratic rule in our States. In order to prove this, let's put the concrete facts before the just people in the world: let's begin to list the crimes committed by the British king in the colonies, which became the main basis of American independence and an important part of the Declaration of Independence. ?

He always refuses to approve the most useful and necessary laws for public welfare. ?

He always forbids his governor to approve urgent and badly needed decrees unless they are suspended without their own consent; During his suspension, he completely ignored those laws. ?

He has always refused to approve other laws that allow people to settle in large areas unless they are willing to give up their representation in the legislature. This appearance is of inestimable significance to the people, but it is terrible only to tyrants. ?

He always calls state legislatures to special and inconvenient places far from their official archives for meetings. Its sole purpose is to make those legislative groups tired of obeying his instructions. ?

He dissolved the state legislature many times because they steadfastly resisted his violation of people's rights. ?

After he dissolved the state legislature, he refused to let the people hold another election. In this way, the indelible "legislative power" will return to the hands of the broad masses of people and be implemented by the people themselves; At this time, countries are still in danger, with the threat of aggression outside and the crisis of unrest inside. ?

He always suppressed the population growth of each state; To this end, he blocked the approval of the Alien Naturalization Law, refused to approve other laws that encouraged people to emigrate, and even raised the restrictions of the new Land Distribution Law. ?

He refused to approve those bills that set up judicial power organs to prevent the implementation of judicial work. So far, the declaration mainly describes the despotism and * * of the British king in the rule of law, including legislation and justice, and shows the maturity of the colonial people's concepts of democracy, rights and obligations from one side. ?

He always wants judges' tenure and their salary to be completely determined by his own will. ?

He set up many new officials at random and sent a large number of officials here to restrain our people and eat the cream of our people. ?

In peacetime, he stationed a standing army in our States without the consent of our legislature. ?

He has always placed the army outside the control of the civilian government and above it. ?

He has been in cahoots with others, demanding that we obey the jurisdiction that is incompatible with our constitution and not recognized by our laws; He approved their counterfeit money. ?

He stationed a large number of troops in our States. ?

He used fraudulent trials to protect the armed forces, so that those who committed any murder against the residents of the States could get away with it. This shows that the colonial people believed in and recognized the principle of "separation of powers". ?

He cut off our trade with the outside world. ?

He taxed us without our permission. ?

In many cases, he deprived us of the benefits of "jury rights". ?

He took us overseas for trial on trumped-up charges. ?

He abolished the British legal system that guaranteed the freedom of neighboring areas, established a violent government there, and quickly expanded its borders, making it an example and an appropriate tool to introduce the same autocratic rule into these colonies. ?

He deprived us of our "Charter", abandoned our precious laws and fundamentally changed the form of our government. ?

He closed our own legislature, but said they had the right to make laws for us on any occasion. ?

He declared that we were out of his protection and against us. In this way, he gave up the regime here. ?

He always plunders our ships at sea, harasses our coastal areas, burns down our towns and destroys the lives of our people. ?

At the moment, he is deploying a large number of foreign mercenaries, demanding that we be cut off and killed, making our Lushe a ruin and abusing autocracy. He created an atmosphere of arrogance and treachery among the disabled, which was rare in the most barbaric period of human history. He is totally unworthy of being the head of a civilized country. ?

He has been forcing our compatriots captured at sea to join the army to resist their country, to act as executioners to slaughter their brothers and friends, or to be killed by their brothers and friends themselves. ?

He has been inciting rebellion within us and has been trying his best to collude with the residents of our frontier and those cruel Indian barbarians to invade. Indians are famous for their way of fighting, that is, to eliminate all men, women and children, and the situation. ?

At every stage of his high-handed policy, we called for reform with the most humble words; However, our repeated appeals only brought insults again and again. A sinful monarch can be regarded as a tyrant in all his actions, and it is really unbearable to be a ruler of a free nation. By reading these crimes, we can see the political maturity of the colonial people in North America. At the same time, the author is also thoughtful when enumerating, instead of enumerating those specific crimes, he is more full of rational demands for rights, which makes the reasons more powerful and still exciting to read now. ?

We haven't forgotten our English brothers. We have always warned them not to try to use their legislative procedures to impose illegal jurisdiction on us. Continue to prove the legitimacy and rationality of taking independent action. We have reminded them of the actual situation of our transplantation and residence here. We appealed to their innate sense of justice and chivalry, and we also issued a sincere statement to them with our friendship with the language and the same species, demanding the abolition of those authoritarian practices, believing that those autocracies would inevitably break our ties and friendship. However, they also turned a deaf ear to this just, flesh-and-blood appeal. So they have to admit that it is necessary to be separated from them. We regard them as enemies in wartime and friends in peacetime, just like other human beings. The power of reason continues to permeate it. In its Declaration of Independence, after enumerating the evils of the suzerain country, it further expressed its willingness to live in peace with it in peacetime, which makes people have to admire the strategic vision and rational power of the drafters of the Declaration. ?

Therefore, we, the representative of the United States of America gathered in the General Assembly, call on the highest judge in the world to judge the justice of our intentions. It's close to the conclusion. In the name of the people and power of these colonies, we solemnly declare and declare that these joint colonies have become and should become free and independent United States; They have lifted all their subordination to the King of England, and all their political ties with the Kingdom of Great Britain should be completely abolished from now on. As a free and independent United States, they have every right to declare war, make peace, conclude alliances, establish commercial relations or take all other actions and affairs that should be taken by independent countries. In order to support this "declaration" and believe in the blessing of the gods with confidence, we are willing to swear to each other with our lives, property and sacred honor, and never swear. The final declaration is solemn, sacred, rigorous and very appropriate. Let people feel great power.

Original text:

In Congress, July 4th, 1776

The unanimous declaration of the thirteen States of the United States of America

When it is necessary for a nation to break the political ties linking them with another nation in the process of human activities, and as a part of the earth's power, and as an independent and equal position endowed by the laws of nature and the God of nature, due respect for human opinions requires them to announce the reasons for their separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that the creator has endowed them with certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In order to ensure these rights, the government is established among people, and the legitimate power of the government comes from the consent of the ruled. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these goals, the people have the right to change or abolish it, and establish a new government to lay its foundation and organize its power in the principles and forms that they think are most likely to affect their safety and happiness. In fact, prudence will determine that the long-term government should not be changed for minor and short-term reasons; Therefore, all experience shows that human beings are more inclined to suffer, and evil can be tolerated, rather than correcting themselves by abolishing their customary forms. However, when a series of abuse of power and extortion in pursuit of the same goal show that someone is trying to put them under absolute autocracy, they have the right and obligation to overthrow such a government and provide new guarantees for their future security. -this is the patience of these colonies; This is the necessity of forcing them to change their previous government system now. The history of the king of Great Britain today is a history of constant injury and usurpation, and the direct goal of all this is to establish an absolute tyranny in these States. To prove this, let the facts be submitted to a just world.

He refuted his approval of laws, which are the most beneficial and necessary for the public interest.

He forbade his governors to pass laws of direct and urgent importance unless they suspended their operation until his consent should be obtained; When so paused, he completely ignored them.

He refused to adopt other laws to accommodate the people in most areas, unless these people gave up their representation in the legislature. This right is immeasurable to them, and only tyrants are afraid.

He called the legislature in unusual places, uncomfortable and far from their public records, with the sole purpose of fatiguing them to abide by his measures.

He dissolved the House of Representatives many times because they firmly opposed his violation of people's rights.

After such dissolution, he refused to let others be elected for a long time, so that the legislative power that could not be eliminated returned to the hands of the broad masses of people and was exercised by them; At the same time, the country still faces the danger of foreign invasion and internal turmoil.

He tried to stop the population of these States; To this end, obstruct the naturalization law of foreigners; Refuse to pass other bills to encourage immigrants and improve the conditions for new land allocation.

He refused to approve the law establishing judicial power, which hindered the implementation of justice.

He makes judges completely dependent on his will in terms of term of office, salary and payment.

He set up many new offices and sent a large number of officials here to harass our people and eat their materials.

He kept a standing army among us in peacetime without the consent of our legislature.

He tried to make the army independent of and above the civilian regime.

He joined forces with others to put us under a jurisdiction that has nothing to do with our constitution and is not recognized by our laws; Allow them to pretend to legislate:

A large number of armed forces are stationed among us;

To protect them from any murder by mock trial, they should treat the residents of these countries:

Cut off our trade with the rest of the world;

Tax us without our consent;

In many cases, we were deprived of the right to trial by jury:

Send us overseas to be tried on fake charges;

Abolish the liberal system of British law in neighboring provinces, establish an arbitrary government there, and expand its borders, so that it can immediately become an example and a suitable tool to introduce the same absolute rule to these colonies.

Cancel our charter, abolish our most valuable laws, and fundamentally change the form of our government:

Suspend our own legislature and declare that they have the right to legislate for us under any circumstances.

He abandoned the government here, declared that we were not protected by him, and launched a war against us.

He plundered our oceans, ravaged our coasts, burned down our towns and destroyed the lives of our people.

At this time, he is transporting a large number of foreign mercenaries to complete the work of death, desolation and tyranny, which has begun in a cruel environment. Treason is also rare in the most barbaric times, and it is totally unworthy to be the head of a civilized country.

He forced our compatriots captured on the high seas to take up arms against their country, become executioners of their friends and brothers, or die at their hands.

He incited domestic rebellion among us, and tried his best to provoke the residents of our frontier, the ruthless Indian barbarians. Their rules of war were to kill them regardless of age, sex and conditions.

At every stage of these oppression, we ask for compensation in the most humble way: our repeated requests are only met with repeated injuries. A monarch, if his character is branded by every behavior that can be defined as a tyrant, is not suitable to be the ruler of a free nation.

We are not lacking in care for our English brothers. We warn them from time to time that their legislature is trying to extend the jurisdiction of unw to us. We have reminded them of our immigration and settlement here. We call on them to be born just and generous, and we summon them with our common blood relationship. Denying these encroachments will inevitably interrupt our contact and communication. They also turned a deaf ear to the voice of justice and blood. Therefore, we must tacitly condemn the necessity of our separation and regard them as enemies in war and friends in peace, just like other human beings.

Therefore, we, the representatives of the United States of in the name of people, gathered together at the plenary meeting and asked the world's highest judge to rule on the correctness of our intentions. With the kindness and authority of these colonies, we solemnly published and announced that these unified colonies are, and naturally should be, free and independent countries. They are exempted from all loyalty to the British royal family, and all political ties between them and the British countries are and should be completely lifted; As free and independent countries, they have full power to wage war, conclude a peace contract alliance, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things that an independent country may do. In order to support this declaration, we firmly believe in the protection of God, and we swear to each other with our lives, property and sacred honor.

John Hancock

New Hampshire:

Josiah bartlett, William whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:

John hancock, samuel adams, john adams, rob terry Paine, Elbridge Gerry.

Rhode Island:

William ellery Stephen Hopkins

Connecticut:

Roger sherman, samuel huntington, william williams, Oliver Walcott

New york:

William Freud, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New jersey:

Richard stockton, john witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, john hart, abraham clark.

Pennsylvania:

Robert morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, john morton, george clymer, james smith, George Taylor, james wilson and George Ross.

Delaware:

Caesar Rodney, George Reid, Thomas McCann

Maryland:

Samuel chase, William Paka, Thomas Si Tong, Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

Virginia:

George Weiss, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, carter braxton.

North Carolina:

William Hooper, Joseph Hughes, john payne

South Carolina:

Edward rutledge, thomas hayward Jr., Thomas Lynch Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:

Barton Gwennett, Lyman Hall, George Walton