The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When it becomes necessary for a group of people to break away from another and establish themselves as an independent nation, it is important to explain the reasons behind this decision.
We believe that certain truths are obvious: all people are created equal and have rights that cannot be taken away. These rights include the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are formed to protect these rights, and they get their power from the consent of the people they govern. If a government fails to protect these rights and instead becomes harmful to its own people, it is the right of the people to change or overthrow that government and establish a new one that will better serve their safety and happiness.
It is common sense that people should not change governments without good reason. It is natural to tolerate some problems and not rush into revolution. However, when a government consistently abuses its power with the intention of becoming a tyrant, it is the right and duty of the people to resist and establish a new government that can ensure their future security.
In our case, we have suffered from the actions of the present King of Great Britain, who has repeatedly harmed and overstepped his authority in order to establish absolute control over our states. We present the world with the facts to prove this.
We, the people of the thirteen united States of America, declare that we are breaking away from the control of Great Britain and establishing ourselves as an independent nation. We do this with the hope that by doing so, we can secure the rights and happiness of our people.
He has refused to approve important laws that are necessary for the well-being of the public.
He has prevented governors from passing urgent laws unless he gives his permission, and even when they are approved, he ignores them.
He has only allowed laws to be passed in certain areas if the people in those areas give up their right to be represented in the government, which is very important to them and only scary to tyrants.
He has called for meetings of lawmakers in inconvenient and faraway places in order to tire them out and make them agree with his decisions.
He has dissolved governing bodies several times because they stood up to him and protected the rights of the people.
He has refused to hold new elections after dissolving governing bodies, leaving the power in the hands of the people, but also leaving the state vulnerable to external threats and internal problems.
He has tried to prevent the population of these states by making it difficult for immigrants to become citizens, and not creating laws to encourage them to come here or make it easier for them to settle.
He has obstructed the establishment of fair courts by refusing to approve laws that would establish their powers.
He has made judges dependent on him for their jobs and salaries.
He has created many new government positions and sent many officials to bother and burden our people.
He has kept armies stationed here during times of peace without the agreement of our legislative bodies.
He has tried to make the military more powerful than the civilian government.
He has conspired with others to subject us to a foreign jurisdiction that is not recognized by our laws, and he has given his approval to their actions as if they were legitimate laws.
He's been putting large groups of armed soldiers in our midst without our consent.
He's been protecting those soldiers with unfair trials, allowing them to get away with murder against our people.
He's been cutting off our trade with the rest of the world.
He's been imposing taxes on us without asking for our permission.
He's been denying us fair trials in many cases, taking away our right to a jury.
He's been sending us overseas to be tried for made-up crimes.
He's been getting rid of the fair English laws in a nearby province and establishing a harsh government there, using it as an example to do the same to us.
He's been taking away our rights and changing our laws and governments in significant ways.
He's been suspending our own local governing bodies and claiming the power to make laws for us on every issue.
He's abandoned his duty as the ruler here, declaring that we are not under his protection and waging war against us.
He's been raiding our seas, attacking our coasts, burning our towns, and killing our people.
He's currently bringing in foreign armies to continue this campaign of death and tyranny. The cruelty and deceit involved are shocking and totally inappropriate for the leader of a civilized nation.
He's been forcing our fellow citizens, who were captured at sea, to fight against their own country or risk being killed themselves.
He's been stirring up rebellions within our borders and has tried to enlist merciless Indian tribes to attack our frontier settlers, leading to indiscriminate destruction and loss of life among people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.
We asked for help many times, but all we got was more harm. A ruler who acts like a tyrant shouldn't be in charge of free people.
We also tried to talk to the British people and explain why their government's actions were unfair. We reminded them that we came here for a reason and asked them to stop interfering with our connections and communication. But, unfortunately, they didn't listen and ignored what's fair.
Because of this, we have to separate from Britain and consider them as enemies in war, but still friends in peace.
As representatives of the United States, we ask the highest judge in the world to support our cause. We declare that the American colonies are independent states and have the right to be free. We no longer owe any loyalty to Britain and have the power to make our own decisions. We can go to war, make peace, form alliances, establish trade, and do everything that independent countries do. We're willing to risk everything to make this declaration a success, and we trust that God will protect us.
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