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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,
When you realize its necessary for one group of people to separate from their existing government in order
to have equal standing as human beings, (which is the right of any human being whether you believe people
are made by God or nature), you should show common decency by stating the reasons why you feel it
necessary to separate in the first place. So before we begin governing ourselves, here are our reasons,
which are true and obvious to everyone:
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.
All men are created equalA person from one nation is just as important as a person from another nation,
there is no hierarchy in humanity because all people are made by their Creator and therefore have certain
rights no matter where they come from. These rights are: 1. The right to Lifeits not the governments
business to limit human life, 2. The right to Libertythe government should let people choose instead of
choosing for them, and 3. The right to pursue personal happinessthe government should be a system that
allows people opportunities to make the type of life they desire (implied that their pursuits dont harm these
3 rights for other people).
--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;
The purpose of government is to protect its people. Those who hold a position of power in government
should have that position because the people choose so. Because of that, when a government isnt
protecting its people but instead protects itself, the people being hurt by this government have a human
right to change the system so that these human rights stay protected. This should never be done for small
reasons or for trendy causes that arise today. Its unwise to overthrow a long-established government.
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.
As history teaches us, people will suffer more without a government than with one that requires them to
endure some evils or hardships. But, when its proven that the government has a long train of abuses and
continually removes peoples rights instead of increasing peoples rights, they give people no choicethey
must throw off such a government so that they can provide a new and secure future. Such has been our
experience in the new Colonieswe have patiently suffered, and now a change is necessary.

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