He has forbidden his governors to pafs laws of immediate and preffing importance, unlefs fufpended in their operation till his afsent should be obtained; and, when fo fufpended, he has utterly neglected to at

tend them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation, of large diftricts of people, unless thofe people would relinquish the rights of reprefentation in the legislature; a right ineftimable to them, and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unufual, uncomfortable, and diftant from the depofitory of their public records, for the · sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has diffolved Reprefentative Houfes repeatedly, for oppofing with manly firmuefs, his invafions on the rights of the people.

He has refufed, for a long time after fuch diffolution, to cause others to be erected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation have returned to the people at large for their exercife; the State remaining in the mean time expofed to all the dangers of invafion from without, and convulfions within,

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of thefe States; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners, refufing to pass others to encourage their emigrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obftructed the adminiftration of justice, by refusing his affent to laws for eflablishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their falaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and fent hither swarms of officers to harrafs our people, and eat out their fubfiftance.

He has kept among us in times of Peace ftanding armies, without the confent of our legiflatures.

He has affected to render the military independent of, and fuperior to, the civil power.

He has combined with others to fubject us to a jurifdiction foreign to our conflitution, and unacknowledged by our laws, giving his affent to their pretended acts of legiflation: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 thefe States.--For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world: -For impofing taxes upon us without our confent :-For depriving us, in many cafes, of the benefit of trial by jury:-For tranfporting us beyond feas to be tried for pretended offences:-For abolishing the free fyftem of English laws in a neighbouring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries fo as to render it at once an example and fit inftrument for introducing the fame abfolute rule into thefe colonies :-For taking away our charters, abolifhing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:-For fufpending our own legislatures, and declaring then felves inverted with power to legiflate for us in all cafes whatfoever.

He

He has abdicated government here by declaring us out of his protection, and waging war with us.

He has plundered our feas, ravaged our coafts, burnt our towns, and deftroyed the lives of our people.

He is, at this time, tranfporting large armies of foreign mercenaries, to complete the works of death, defolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumftances of cruclty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has conftrained our fellow-citizens, taken captive on the high feas, 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 infurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless Indian favages, whofe known rule of warfare is an undiftinguished destruction of all ages, fexes, and conditions.

In every stage of thefe oppreffions we have petitioned for redrefs, in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whofe 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 attention to our British brethern. We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts, by their legiflature, to extend an unwarrantable jurifdiction over us; we have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and fettlement here; we have appealed to their native juftice and magnanimity; and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred, to difavow these ufurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connection. and correfpondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and confanguinity. We must therefore acquiefce in the neceffity which denounces our feparation, and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the Reprefentatives of the United States of America, in General Congrefs affembled, appealing to the Supreme JUDGE of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of thefe Colonies, folemnly publith and declare that thefe United Colonies are, and of right ought to be FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, and that they are abfolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connections between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally diffolved; and that, as free and independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, eftablith commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent States may of right do. And for the fupport 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 facred honour.

Signed by order, and in behalfJOHN HANDCOCK, President.

of the Congress.

Atteft. CHARLES THOMPSON, Secretary.

Articles

Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New-Hampshire, Maffachufett's Bay, Rhode-Inland, Connecticut, New-York, Penfylvania, the Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Suffex, on Delaware- River, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South-Carolina, Georgia.

N. B. These articles of Confederation, after having been long weigh ed and difcuffed, line by line, in the Congrefs, were at length refolved upon and figned by all the Delegates, the 4th of October, 1776, at Philadelphia, fuch as they are here set forth; and in confequence were immediately sent to the other States to be confirmed by them.

ARTICLE I. The Thirteen States above mentioned, confederate themfelves under the title of The UNITED STATES of AMERICA,

II. They contract, each in their own name, by the prefent conftitution, a reciprocal treaty of alliance and friendship for their common defence, for the maintenance of their liberties, and for their general and mutual advantage; obliging themfelves to affift each other against all violence that may threaten all, or any one of them, and to repel in common all the attacks that may be levelled against all or any one of them, on account of religion, fovereignity, commerce, or under any other pretext whatfoever.

III. Each State referves to themselves alone the exclusive right of regulating their internal government, and of framing laws in all matters that are not included in the articles of the prefent Confederation, and which cannot any way prejudice the fame.

IV. No State in particular fhall either fend or receive embaffies, begin any negociations, contract any engagements, form any alliances, conclude any treaties with any king, prince, or power whatsoever without the confent of the United States, affembled in General Congress.

No perfon, invefted with any poft whatever under the authority of the United States, or of any of them, whether he has appointments belonging to his employment, or whether it be a commiffion purely confidential, fhall be allowed to accept any presents, gratuities, emoluments, nor any offices or titles of any kind whatever, from any kings, princes, or foreign powers.

And the General Assembly of the united States, nor any State in particular, fhall not confer any title of nobility.

V. Two, nor feveral of the faid States, fhall not have power to form alliances or confederations, nor conclude any private treaty among themselves, without the confent of the United States affembled in General Congrefs, and without the aim and duration of that private convention be exactly fpecified in the confent.

VI. No State fhall lay on any impofts, nor establish any duties whatever, the effect of which might alter directly, or indirectly, the claufes of the treaties to be concluded, hereafter by the Affembly of the United States with any kings, princes, or power whatsoever.

VII. There fhall not be kept by any of the faid States, in particu lar, any veffels or fhips of war above the number judged necellary by

the

33 the Affembly of the United States, for the defence of that State and its commerce; and there shall not be kept on foot in time of peace by any of the faid States, any troops above the number determined by the Affembly of the United States, to guard the ftrong places or forts neceffary for the defence of that State; but each State fhall always keep a well-difciplined militia, fufficiently armed and equipped, and fhall be careful to procure, and keep in conftant readiness, in the public magazines, a fufficient number of field pieces and tents, with a proper quantity of ammunition and implements of war.

VIII. When any of the faid States fhall raife troops for the common defence, all the officers of the rank of colonel and under, shall be appointed by the legislative body of the State that fhall have raised the troops, or in fuch manner as that State fhall have judged proper to regulate the nominations; and when any vacancy happens in thefe pofts, they fhall be filled up by the faid State.

IX. All the expences of war, and all other disbursements. that shall be made for the common defence or the general weal, and that shall be ordered by the Affembly of the United States, fhall be paid out of the funds of a common treasury.

That common treafury fhall be formed by the contribution of each of the aforefaid States, in proportion to the number of the inhabitants of every age, fex, or quality, except the Indians exempt from taxes in each State; and in order to fix the quota of the contribution, every three years the inhabitants shall be numbered, in which enumeration the number of white people fhall be diftinguifhed: and that enumeration fhall be fent to the Affembly of the United States.

The taxes appropriated to pay this quota, fhall be laid and levied in the extent of each State by the authority and orders of its legislative body, within the time fixed by the Affembly of the United States.

X. Each of the faid States fhall fubmit to the decifions of the Af fembly of the United States, in all matters or questions referved to that Affembly by the prefent act of Confederation.

XI. No State fhall engage in war without the confent of the United States affembled in Congrefs, except in cafe of actual invafion of fome enemy, or from a certain knowledge of a refolution taken by fome Indian nation to attack them, and in that cafe only, in which the danger is too urgent to allow them time to confult the other States.

No particular State fhall give any commiffion to veffels, or other fhips of war, nor any letters of marque or reprifal, till after a declaration of war made by the Affembly of the United States; and even in that cafe they fhall be granted only against the kingdom or the power, or against the fubjects of the kingdom, or of the power against which war fhall have been fo declared; and fhall conform, refpecting these objects, to the regulations made by the Affembly of the United States.

XI. In order to watch over the general intereft of the United States, and direct the general affairs, there fhall be nominated every year according to the form fettled by the legiflative body of each State, a certain number of delegates, who fhall fit at Philadelphia until the General Affembly of the Anited States fhall have ordered otherwife; and [E]

the

the first Monday in November of each year, shall be the æra fixed for their meeting.

Each of the above mentioned States fhall preferve the right and power to recall, at any time whatever of the year, their delegates, or any one of them, and to fend others in the room of them for the remainder of the year; and each of the faid States fhall maintain their delegates during the time of the General Affembly, and alfo during the time they fhall be members of the Council of State, of which mention fhall be made hereafter.

XIII. Each State shall have a vote for the decifion of questions in the General Affembly.

XIV. The General Affembly of the United States, fhall alone and exclufively have the right and power to decide of peace and war, ex. cept in the cafe mentioned in article XI.-to establish rules for judging in all cafes the legitimacy of the prizes taken by fea or land, and to determine the manner in which the prizes taken by the sea or land forces, in the service of the United States, fhall be divided or employed ;-to grant letters of marque or reprifal in time of peace ;-to appoint tribunals to take cognizance of piracies, and all other capital crimes committed on the high feas ;-to establish tribunals to receive appeals, and judge finally in all cafes of prizes ;-to fend and receive ambaffadors;-to negociate and conclude treaties and alliances-to decide all differences actually fubfifting, and that may arife hereafter between two or feveral of the aforementioned States, about limits, jurifdiction, or any other cause whatsoever;-to coin money, and fix its value and ftandard ;—to fix the weights and measures througout the whole extent of the United States :-to regulate commerce, and treat of all affairs with the Indians who are not members of any of the States; to establish and regulate the pofts from one State to another, in the whole extent of the United States, and to receive on the letters and packets fent by poft, the neceffary tax to defray the expence of that establishment ;-to appoint the general officers of the Jand forces in the fervice of the United States; to give commiffions to the other officers of the faid troops, who fhall have been appointed by virtue of article VIII ;-to appoint all officers of marine in the fervice of the United States ;-to frame all the ordinances neceffary for the government and difcipline of the said land and sea forces; and to direct their operations.

The General Affembly of the United States fhall be authorifed to appoint a Council of State aud fuch commitees and civil officers as they fhall judge néceflary for guiding and difpatching the general affairs, under their authority, whilft they remain fitting; and after their feparation, under the authority of the Council of State.-They fhall chufe for prefident one of their members, and for fecretary the perfon whom they fhall judge fit for that place; and they may adjourn at what time in the year, and to what place of the United States they fhall think proper. They fhall have the right and power to determine and fix the fum neceffary to be raised, and the difburfments neceffary to be made: to borrow money, and to create bills on the credit of the United States-to build and fit out fleets;-to determine the number of troops to be raised or kept in pay ;-and to require of each of the