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The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation
On this page you will find the Declaration of Independence
and the Articles of Confederation.
The Declaration of Independence
A Transcription
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to
assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which
the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the
opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel
them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles
and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient
causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by
abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of
abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to
throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future
security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is
now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of
Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of
repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment
of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted
to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the
public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing
importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be
obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of
people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in
the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable,
and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose
of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly
firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be
elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have
returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the
mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions
within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose
obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others
to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new
Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to
Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their
offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers
to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent
of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the
Civil power.
He has 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 Brittish 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.
The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:
Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton
Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton
Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton
Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean
Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark
Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton
Transcript of Articles of Confederation
(1777)
To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of
the States affixed to our Names send greeting.
Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the states of New
Hampshire, Massachusetts-bay Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
I.
The Stile of this Confederacy shall be
"The United States of America".
II.
Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every
power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly
delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.
III.
The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with
each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and
their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other,
against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on
account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever.
IV.
The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship and intercourse among
the people of the different States in this Union, the free inhabitants of
each of these States, paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice
excepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of free
citizens in the several States; and the people of each State shall free
ingress and regress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all
the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties,
impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively,
provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to prevent the
removal of property imported into any State, to any other State, of which
the owner is an inhabitant; provided also that no imposition, duties or
restriction shall be laid by any State, on the property of the United
States, or either of them.
If any person guilty of, or charged with, treason, felony, or other high
misdemeanor in any State, shall flee from justice, and be found in any of
the United States, he shall, upon demand of the Governor or executive power
of the State from which he fled, be delivered up and removed to the State
having jurisdiction of his offense.
Full faith and credit shall be given in each of these States to the
records, acts, and judicial proceedings of the courts and magistrates of
every other State.
V.
For the most convenient management of the general interests of the United
States, delegates shall be annually appointed in such manner as the
legislatures of each State shall direct, to meet in Congress on the first
Monday in November, in every year, with a power reserved to each State to
recall its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to
send others in their stead for the remainder of the year.
No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor more than
seven members; and no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more
than three years in any term of six years; nor shall any person, being a
delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States, for
which he, or another for his benefit, receives any salary, fees or emolument
of any kind.
Each State shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the States,
and while they act as members of the committee of the States.
In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each
State shall have one vote.
Freedom of speech and debate in Congress shall not be impeached or
questioned in any court or place out of Congress, and the members of
Congress shall be protected in their persons from arrests or imprisonments,
during the time of their going to and from, and attendence on Congress,
except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace.
VI.
No State, without the consent of the United States in Congress assembled,
shall send any embassy to, or receive any embassy from, or enter into any
conference, agreement, alliance or treaty with any King, Prince or State;
nor shall any person holding any office of profit or trust under the United
States, or any of them, accept any present, emolument, office or title of
any kind whatever from any King, Prince or foreign State; nor shall the
United States in Congress assembled, or any of them, grant any title of
nobility.
No two or more States shall enter into any treaty, confederation or
alliance whatever between them, without the consent of the United States in
Congress assembled, specifying accurately the purposes for which the same is
to be entered into, and how long it shall continue.
No State shall lay any imposts or duties, which may interfere with any
stipulations in treaties, entered into by the United States in Congress
assembled, with any King, Prince or State, in pursuance of any treaties
already proposed by Congress, to the courts of France and Spain.
No vessel of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any State, except
such number only, as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in
Congress assembled, for the defense of such State, or its trade; nor shall
any body of forces be kept up by any State in time of peace, except such
number only, as in the judgement of the United States in Congress assembled,
shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defense of
such State; but every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and
disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide
and constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of filed
pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp
equipage.
No State shall engage in any war without the consent of the United States
in Congress assembled, unless such State be actually invaded by enemies, or
shall have received certain advice of a resolution being formed by some
nation of Indians to invade such State, and the danger is so imminent as not
to admit of a delay till the United States in Congress assembled can be
consulted; nor shall any State grant commissions to any ships or vessels of
war, nor letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after a declaration of
war by the United States in Congress assembled, and then only against the
Kingdom or State and the subjects thereof, against which war has been so
declared, and under such regulations as shall be established by the United
States in Congress assembled, unless such State be infested by pirates, in
which case vessels of war may be fitted out for that occasion, and kept so
long as the danger shall continue, or until the United States in Congress
assembled shall determine otherwise.
VII.
When land forces are raised by any State for the common defense, all
officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the
legislature of each State respectively, by whom such forces shall be raised,
or in such manner as such State shall direct, and all vacancies shall be
filled up by the State which first made the appointment.
VIII.
All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the
common defense or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in
Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall
be supplied by the several States in proportion to the value of all land
within each State, granted or surveyed for any person, as such land and the
buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated according to such mode
as the United States in Congress assembled, shall from time to time direct
and appoint.
The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the
authority and direction of the legislatures of the several States within the
time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled.
IX.
The United States in Congress assembled, shall have the sole and exclusive
right and power of determining on peace and war, except in the cases
mentioned in the sixth article -- of sending and receiving ambassadors --
entering into treaties and alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce
shall be made whereby the legislative power of the respective States shall
be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners, as their
own people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or
importation of any species of goods or commodities whatsoever -- of
establishing rules for deciding in all cases, what captures on land or water
shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval forces in
the service of the United States shall be divided or appropriated -- of
granting letters of marque and reprisal in times of peace -- appointing
courts for the trial of piracies and felonies commited on the high seas and
establishing courts for receiving and determining finally appeals in all
cases of captures, provided that no member of Congress shall be appointed a
judge of any of the said courts.
The United States in Congress assembled shall also be the last resort on
appeal in all disputes and differences now subsisting or that hereafter may
arise between two or more States concerning boundary, jurisdiction or any
other causes whatever; which authority shall always be exercised in the
manner following. Whenever the legislative or executive authority or lawful
agent of any State in controversy with another shall present a petition to
Congress stating the matter in question and praying for a hearing, notice
thereof shall be given by order of Congress to the legislative or executive
authority of the other State in controversy, and a day assigned for the
appearance of the parties by their lawful agents, who shall then be directed
to appoint by joint consent, commissioners or judges to constitute a court
for hearing and determining the matter in question: but if they cannot
agree, Congress shall name three persons out of each of the United States,
and from the list of such persons each party shall alternately strike out
one, the petitioners beginning, until the number shall be reduced to
thirteen; and from that number not less than seven, nor more than nine names
as Congress shall direct, shall in the presence of Congress be drawn out by
lot, and the persons whose names shall be so drawn or any five of them,
shall be commissioners or judges, to hear and finally determine the
controversy, so always as a major part of the judges who shall hear the
cause shall agree in the determination: and if either party shall neglect to
attend at the day appointed, without showing reasons, which Congress shall
judge sufficient, or being present shall refuse to strike, the Congress
shall proceed to nominate three persons out of each State, and the secretary
of Congress shall strike in behalf of such party absent or refusing; and the
judgement and sentence of the court to be appointed, in the manner before
prescribed, shall be final and conclusive; and if any of the parties shall
refuse to submit to the authority of such court, or to appear or defend
their claim or cause, the court shall nevertheless proceed to pronounce
sentence, or judgement, which shall in like manner be final and decisive,
the judgement or sentence and other proceedings being in either case
transmitted to Congress, and lodged among the acts of Congress for the
security of the parties concerned: provided that every commissioner, before
he sits in judgement, shall take an oath to be administered by one of the
judges of the supreme or superior court of the State, where the cause shall
be tried, 'well and truly to hear and determine the matter in question,
according to the best of his judgement, without favor, affection or hope of
reward': provided also, that no State shall be deprived of territory for the
benefit of the United States.
All controversies concerning the private right of soil claimed under
different grants of two or more States, whose jurisdictions as they may
respect such lands, and the States which passed such grants are adjusted,
the said grants or either of them being at the same time claimed to have
originated antecedent to such settlement of jurisdiction, shall on the
petition of either party to the Congress of the United States, be finally
determined as near as may be in the same manner as is before prescribed for
deciding disputes respecting territorial jurisdiction between different
States.
The United States in Congress assembled shall also have the sole and
exclusive right and power of regulating the alloy and value of coin struck
by their own authority, or by that of the respective States -- fixing the
standards of weights and measures throughout the United States -- regulating
the trade and managing all affairs with the Indians, not members of any of
the States, provided that the legislative right of any State within its own
limits be not infringed or violated -- establishing or regulating post
offices from one State to another, throughout all the United States, and
exacting such postage on the papers passing through the same as may be
requisite to defray the expenses of the said office -- appointing all
officers of the land forces, in the service of the United States, excepting
regimental officers -- appointing all the officers of the naval forces, and
commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the United States --
making rules for the government and regulation of the said land and naval
forces, and directing their operations.
The United States in Congress assembled shall have authority to appoint a
committee, to sit in the recess of Congress, to be denominated 'A Committee
of the States', and to consist of one delegate from each State; and to
appoint such other committees and civil officers as may be necessary for
managing the general affairs of the United States under their direction --
to appoint one of their members to preside, provided that no person be
allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any term
of three years; to ascertain the necessary sums of money to be raised for
the service of the United States, and to appropriate and apply the same for
defraying the public expenses -- to borrow money, or emit bills on the
credit of the United States, transmitting every half-year to the respective
States an account of the sums of money so borrowed or emitted -- to build
and equip a navy -- to agree upon the number of land forces, and to make
requisitions from each State for its quota, in proportion to the number of
white inhabitants in such State; which requisition shall be binding, and
thereupon the legislature of each State shall appoint the regimental
officers, raise the men and cloath, arm and equip them in a solid-like
manner, at the expense of the United States; and the officers and men so
cloathed, armed and equipped shall march to the place appointed, and within
the time agreed on by the United States in Congress assembled. But if the
United States in Congress assembled shall, on consideration of circumstances
judge proper that any State should not raise men, or should raise a smaller
number of men than the quota thereof, such extra number shall be raised,
officered, cloathed, armed and equipped in the same manner as the quota of
each State, unless the legislature of such State shall judge that such extra
number cannot be safely spread out in the same, in which case they shall
raise, officer, cloath, arm and equip as many of such extra number as they
judeg can be safely spared. And the officers and men so cloathed, armed, and
equipped, shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on
by the United States in Congress assembled.
The United States in Congress assembled shall never engage in a war, nor
grant letters of marque or reprisal in time of peace, nor enter into any
treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, nor
ascertain the sums and expenses necessary for the defense and welfare of the
United States, or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the
credit of the United States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the
number of vessels of war, to be built or purchased, or the number of land or
sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a commander in chief of the army or
navy, unless nine States assent to the same: nor shall a question on any
other point, except for adjourning from day to day be determined, unless by
the votes of the majority of the United States in Congress assembled.
The Congress of the United States shall have power to adjourn to any time
within the year, and to any place within the United States, so that no
period of adjournment be for a longer duration than the space of six months,
and shall publish the journal of their proceedings monthly, except such
parts thereof relating to treaties, alliances or military operations, as in
their judgement require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the delegates of
each State on any question shall be entered on the journal, when it is
desired by any delegates of a State, or any of them, at his or their request
shall be furnished with a transcript of the said journal, except such parts
as are above excepted, to lay before the legislatures of the several States.
X.
The Committee of the States, or any nine of them, shall be authorized to
execute, in the recess of Congress, such of the powers of Congress as the
United States in Congress assembled, by the consent of the nine States,
shall from time to time think expedient to vest them with; provided that no
power be delegated to the said Committee, for the exercise of which, by the
Articles of Confederation, the voice of nine States in the Congress of the
United States assembled be requisite.
XI.
Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the
United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of
this Union; but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such
admission be agreed to by nine States.
XII.
All bills of credit emitted, monies borrowed, and debts contracted by, or
under the authority of Congress, before the assembling of the United States,
in pursuance of the present confederation, shall be deemed and considered as
a charge against the United States, for payment and satisfaction whereof the
said United States, and the public faith are hereby solemnly pleged.
XIII.
Every State shall abide by the determination of the United States in
Congress assembled, on all questions which by this confederation are
submitted to them. And the Articles of this Confederation shall be
inviolably observed by every State, and the Union shall be perpetual; nor
shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless
such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be
afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State.
And Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline
the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to
approve of, and to authorize us to ratify the said Articles of Confederation
and perpetual Union. Know Ye that we the undersigned delegates, by virtue of
the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do by these presents,
in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely
ratify and confirm each and every of the said Articles of Confederation and
perpetual Union, and all and singular the matters and things therein
contained: And we do further solemnly plight and engage the faith of our
respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the
United States in Congress assembled, on all questions, which by the said
Confederation are submitted to them. And that the Articles thereof shall be
inviolably observed by the States we respectively represent, and that the
Union shall be perpetual.
In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in Congress. Done at
Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania the ninth day of July in the Year
of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Eight, and in the Third
Year of the independence of America.
Agreed to by Congress 15 November 1777 In force after ratification by
Maryland, 1 March 1781
Transcription courtesy of
the Avalon Project at Yale Law School.
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