Primary Sources: The Declaration of Independence

Transcription

1 Primary Sources: The Declaration of Independence By Original document from the public domain, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 722 Level 830L This political cartoon, attributed to Benjamin Franklin, was used to encourage the American colonies to join the Albany Plan for Union. It was printed in the The Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, Abbreviations: South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and New England. IN CONGRESS, July 4, All 13 colonies of the United States of America have voted for and agreed to this declaration. There are times when people need to end the government ties which have connected them. They have to become free and independent. In such times, they should explain their reasons for separating. We believe these truths to be very easy to understand: that all men are created equal, and that God has given them all basic rights. Among these rights are the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To protect these rights, men have created governments. Governments are only fair when they have the support of the people, though. If the government mistreats its people, they can get rid of it and start a new government. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 We know that governments that have been in power for many years should not be changed for just any reason. As a result, people usually put up with a bad government instead of changing it. At a certain point, though, it is our right and duty to get rid of an unjust government. The patient suffering of these colonies must end. Now it is necessary to change our system of government. "He Has Started A War Against Us" The history of the present King of Great Britain is full of crimes against us. He has refused to agree to laws needed for the public good. He has taken away the power of our lawmakers again and again. He has tried to stop people moving into these states and made it harder to buy more land. He prevents justice from being carried out in our courts. He keeps us from naming judges and does not let our juries decide our trials. He has put armies all around us to scare us. His soldiers have more power than our own government. They can live in our homes and their crimes go unpunished. He has stopped us from trading with other parts of the world and has created taxes that we do not agree with. He has started a war against us. He has sunk our ships, ruined our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He has caused the death of many. "They Have Not Listened To Us" For years, we have reported these problems, but our repeated cries for help have not been answered. We have patiently tried to reach out to our British brothers and have begged for justice. We have reminded them we share the same history. They have not listened to us, though. We, therefore, must separate from them and start our own government. We, the representatives of the United States of America, ask for the help of God as we do this. The people of these colonies declare that these United Colonies are and should be free and independent states. They are freed from all loyalty to the King of England. All government connection between them and the state of Great Britain is ended. As free and independent states, we have full power to start war, make peace, make agreements with other countries, and find our own ways to trade and make money. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 We all support of this declaration. With a firm belief in protection coming from God s plan, we offer our lives, our money and land, and our holy honor. The 56 signatures on the declaration are written below: 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 This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 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: This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 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 This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5