This declaration was issued by the Second Continental Congress on July 6, 1775, listing the reasons why the Thirteen Colonies took up arms in the American Revolutionary War.
A Declaration by the Representatives of the United Colonies of
North-America, Now Met in Congress at Philadelphia, Setting Forth the
Causes and Necessity of Their Taking Up Arms.
If it was possible for men, who exercise their reason to believe, that the divine Author of our existence intended a part of the human race to hold an absolute property in, and an unbounded power over others, marked out by his infinite goodness and wisdom, as the objects of a legal domination never rightfully resistible, however severe and oppressive, the inhabitants of these colonies might at least require from the parliament of Great-Britain some evidence, that this dreadful authority over them, has been granted to that body. But a reverance for our Creator, principles of humanity, and the dictates of common sense, must convince all those who reflect upon the subject, that government was instituted to promote the welfare of mankind, and ought to be administered for the attainment of that end. The legislature of Great-Britain, however, stimulated by an inordinate passion for a power not only unjustifiable, but which they know to be peculiarly reprobated by the very constitution of that kingdom, and desparate of success in any mode of contest, where regard should be had to truth, law, or right, have at length, deserting those, attempted to effect their cruel and impolitic purpose of enslaving these colonies by violence, and have thereby rendered it necessary for us to close with their last appeal from reason to arms. - Yet, however blinded that assembly may be, by their intemperate rage for unlimited domination, so to sight justice and the opinion of mankind, we esteem ourselves bound by obligations of respect to the rest of the world, to make known the justice of our cause.
Our
forefathers, inhabitants of the island of Great-Britain, left their
native land, to seek on these shores a residence for civil and religious
freedom. At the expense of their blood, at the hazard of their
fortunes, without the least charge to the country from which they
removed, by unceasing labour, and an unconquerable spirit, they effected
settlements in the distant and unhospitable wilds of America, then
filled with numerous and warlike barbarians. -- Societies or
governments, vested with perfect legislatures, were formed under
charters from the crown, and an harmonious intercourse was established
between the colonies and the kingdom from which they derived their
origin. The mutual benefits of this union became in a short time so
extraordinary, as to excite astonishment. It is universally confessed,
that the amazing increase of the wealth, strength, and navigation of the
realm, arose from this source; and the minister, who so wisely and
successfully directed the measures of Great-Britain in the late war,
publicly declared, that these colonies enabled her to triumph over her
enemies. --Towards the conclusion of that war, it pleased our sovereign
to make a change in his counsels. -- From that fatal movement, the
affairs of the British empire began to fall into confusion, and
gradually sliding from the summit of glorious prosperity, to which they
had been advanced by the virtues and abilities of one man, are at length
distracted by the convulsions, that now shake it to its deepest
foundations. -- The new ministry finding the brave foes of Britain,
though frequently defeated, yet still contending, took up the
unfortunate idea of granting them a hasty peace, and then subduing her
faithful friends.
These devoted colonies were judged to be in
such a state, as to present victories without bloodshed, and all the
easy emoluments of statuteable plunder. -- The uninterrupted tenor of
their peaceable and respectful behaviour from the beginning of
colonization, their dutiful, zealous, and useful services during the
war, though so recently and amply acknowledged in the most honourable
manner by his majesty, by the late king, and by parliament, could not
save them from the meditated innovations. -- Parliament was influenced
to adopt the pernicious project, and assuming a new power over them,
have in the course of eleven years, given such decisive specimens of the
spirit and consequences attending this power, as to leave no doubt
concerning the effects of acquiescence under it. They have undertaken to
give and grant our money without our consent, though we have ever
exercised an exclusive right to dispose of our own property; statutes
have been passed for extending the jurisdiction of courts of admiralty
and vice-admiralty beyond their ancient limits; for depriving us of the
accustomed and inestimable privilege of trial by jury, in cases
affecting both life and property; for suspending the legislature of one
of the colonies; for interdicting all commerce to the capital of
another; and for altering fundamentally the form of government
established by charter, and secured by acts of its own legislature
solemnly confirmed by the crown; for exempting the "murderers" of
colonists from legal trial, and in effect, from punishment; for erecting
in a neighbouring province, acquired by the joint arms of Great-Britain
and America, a despotism dangerous to our very existence; and for
quartering soldiers upon the colonists in time of profound peace. It has
also been resolved in parliament, that colonists charged with
committing certain offences, shall be transported to England to be
tried.
But why should we enumerate our injuries in detail? By
one statute it is declared, that parliament can "of right make laws to
bind us in all cases whatsoever." What is to defend us against so
enormous, so unlimited a power? Not a single man of those who assume it,
is chosen by us; or is subject to our control or influence; but, on the
contrary, they are all of them exempt from the operation of such laws,
and an American revenue, if not diverted from the ostensible purposes
for which it is raised, would actually lighten their own burdens in
proportion, as they increase ours. We saw the misery to which such
despotism would reduce us. We for ten years incessantly and
ineffectually besieged the throne as supplicants; we reasoned, we
remonstrated with parliament, in the most mild and decent language.
Administration
sensible that we should regard these oppressive measures as freemen
ought to do, sent over fleets and armies to enforce them. The
indignation of the Americans was roused, it is true; but it was the
indignation of a virtuous, loyal, and affectionate people. A Congress of
delegates from the United Colonies was assembled at Philadelphia, on
the fifth day of last September. We resolved again to offer an humble
and dutiful petition to the King, and also addressed our fellow-subjects
of Great-Britain. We have pursued every temperate, every respectful
measure; we have even proceeded to break off our commercial intercourse
with our fellow-subjects, as the last peaceable admonition, that our
attachment to no nation upon earth should supplant our attachment to
liberty. -- This, we flattered ourselves, was the ultimate step of the
controversy: but subsequent events have shewn, how vain was this hope of
finding moderation in our enemies.
Several threatening
expressions against the colonies were inserted in his majesty's speech;
our petition, tho' we were told it was a decent one, and that his
majesty had been pleased to receive it graciously, and to promise laying
it before his parliament, was huddled into both houses among a bundle
of American papers, and there neglected. The lords and commons in their
address, in the month of February, said, that "a rebellion at that time
actually existed within the province of Massachusetts-Bay; and that
those concerned with it, had been countenanced and encouraged by
unlawful combinations and engagements, entered into by his majesty's
subjects in several of the other colonies; and therefore they besought
his majesty, that he would take the most effectual measures to inforce
due obediance to the laws and authority of the supreme legislature." --
Soon after, the commercial intercourse of whole colonies, with foreign
countries, and with each other, was cut off by an act of parliament; by
another several of them were intirely prohibited from the fisheries in
the seas near their coasts, on which they always depended for their
sustenance; and large reinforcements of ships and troops were
immediately sent over to general Gage.
Fruitless were all the
entreaties, arguments, and eloquence of an illustrious band of the most
distinguished peers, and commoners, who nobly and strenuously asserted
the justice of our cause, to stay, or even to mitigate the heedless fury
with which these accumulated and unexampled outrages were hurried on.
-- equally fruitless was the interference of the city of London, of
Bristol, and many other respectable towns in our favor. Parliament
adopted an insidious manoeuvre calculated to divide us, to establish a
perpetual auction of taxations where colony should bid against colony,
all of them uninformed what ransom would redeem their lives; and thus to
extort from us, at the point of the bayonet, the unknown sums that
should be sufficient to gratify, if possible to gratify, ministerial
rapacity, with the miserable indulgence left to us of raising, in our
own mode, the prescribed tribute. What terms more rigid and humiliating
could have been dictated by remorseless victors to conquered enemies? in
our circumstances to accept them, would be to deserve them.
Soon
after the intelligence of these proceedings arrived on this continent,
general Gage, who in the course of the last year had taken possession of
the town of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts-Bay, and still
occupied it a garrison, on the 19th day of April, sent out from that
place a large detachment of his army, who made an unprovoked assault on
the inhabitants of the said province, at the town of Lexington, as
appears by the affidavits of a great number of persons, some of whom
were officers and soldiers of that detachment, murdered eight of the
inhabitants, and wounded many others. From thence the troops proceeded
in warlike array to the town of Concord, where they set upon another
party of the inhabitants of the same province, killing several and
wounding more, until compelled to retreat by the country people suddenly
assembled to repel this cruel aggression. Hostilities, thus commenced
by the British troops, have been since prosecuted by them without regard
to faith or reputation. -- The inhabitants of Boston being confined
within that town by the general their governor, and having, in order to
procure their dismission, entered into a treaty with him, it was
stipulated that the said inhabitants having deposited their arms with
their own magistrate, should have liberty to depart, taking with them
their other effects. They accordingly delivered up their arms, but in
open violation of honour, in defiance of the obligation of treaties,
which even savage nations esteemed sacred, the governor ordered the arms
deposited as aforesaid, that they might be preserved for their owners,
to be seized by a body of soldiers; detained the greatest part of the
inhabitants in the town, and compelled the few who were permitted to
retire, to leave their most valuable effects behind.
By this
perfidy wives are separated from their husbands, children from their
parents, the aged and the sick from their relations and friends, who
wish to attend and comfort them; and those who have been used to live in
plenty and even elegance, are reduced to deplorable distress.
The
general, further emulating his ministerial masters, by a proclamation
bearing date on the 12th day of June, after venting the grossest
falsehoods and calumnies against the good people of these colonies,
proceeds to "declare them all, either by name or description, to be
rebels and traitors, to supersede the course of the common law, and
instead thereof to publish and order the use and exercise of the law
martial." -- His troops have butchered our countrymen, have wantonly
burnt Charlestown, besides a considerable number of houses in other
places; our ships and vessels are seized; the necessary supplies of
provisions are intercepted, and he is exerting his utmost power to
spread destruction and devastation around him.
We have rceived
certain intelligence, that general Carelton[Carleton], the governor of
Canada, is instigating the people of that province and the Indians to
fall upon us; and we have but too much reason to apprehend, that schemes
have been formed to excite domestic enemies against us. In brief, a
part of these colonies now feel, and all of them are sure of feeling, as
far as the vengeance of administration can inflict them, the
complicated calamities of fire, sword and famine. We(2) are reduced to
the alternative of chusing an unconditional submission to the tyranny of
irritated ministers, or resistance by force. -- The latter is our
choice. -- We have counted the cost of this contest, and find nothing so
dreadful as voluntary slavery. -- Honour, justice, and humanity, forbid
us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant
ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from
us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding
generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them, if we
basely entail hereditary bondage upon them.
Our cause is just.
Our union is perfect. Our internal resources are great, and, if
necessary, foreign assistance is undoubtedly attainable. -- We
gratefully acknowledge, as signal instances of the Divine favour towards
us, that his Providence would not permit us to be called into this
severe controversy, until we were grown up to our present strength, had
been previously exercised in warlike operation, and possessed of the
means of defending ourselves. With hearts fortified with these animating
reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that,
exerting the utmost energy of those powers, which our beneficent
Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us, the arms we have been
compelled by our enemies to assume, we will, in defiance of every
hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverence, employ for the
preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die
freemen rather than to live slaves.
Lest this declaration should
disquiet the minds of our friends and fellow-subjects in any part of
the empire, we assure them that we mean not to dissolve that union which
has so long and so happily subsisted between us, and which we sincerely
wish to see restored. -- Necessity has not yet driven us into that
desperate measure, or induced us to excite any other nation to war
against them. -- We have not raised armies with ambitious designs of
separating from Great-Britain, and establishing independent states. We
fight not for glory or for conquest.
We exhibit to mankind
the remarkable spectacle of a people attacked by unprovoked enemies,
without any imputation or even suspicion of offence. They boast of their
privileges and civilization, and yet proffer no milder conditions than
servitude or death.
In our own native land, in defence of the
freedom that is our birthright, and which we ever enjoyed till the late
violation of it -- for the protection of our property, acquired solely
by the honest industry of our fore-fathers and ourselves, against
violence actually offered, we have taken up arms. We shall lay them down
when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, and all
danger of their being renewed shall be removed, and not before.
With
an humble confidence in the mercies of the supreme and impartial Judge
and Ruler of the Universe, we most devoutly implore his divine goodness
to protect us happily through this great conflict, to dispose our
adversaries to reconciliation on reasonable terms, and thereby to
relieve the empire from the calamities of civil war.
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