Declaration of Independence

Here is the complete text of the Declaration of Independence.
The original spelling and capitalization have been retained.

(Adopted by Congress on 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 bonds 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 to 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 shown 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 meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration 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 harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to 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 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 offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring 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 in 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, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and 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 endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is 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 attention to our British 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 the 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.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

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

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

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776

• On Wednesday (July1) she had her first solid food - sweet potatoes. She is not entirely sure about vegetables, since the 1st she has also tried carrots and rice cereal. So far rice cereal is the most popular.
• Happily, Darcy is getting caught up with some of her gross motor skills. She is excelling at unassisted sitting now. Today she sat unassisted for 27 minutes.
• We are still working on rolling over. I am confident that she will get it by our next PT appointment though. She has a little over 3 weeks. And we work on it every day.
• Her fine motor skills seem to be right on track, which is great.
• Verbally, she is doing awesome. She makes all kinds of sounds, she is starting to imitate us. She seems to love trying to express herself with her voice. And boy howdy, she has figured out how to be LOUD.
• Oh, the laughing and giggling - I swear she is the happiest child I have ever seen. All smiles and giggles.
• She sleeps like a champ! We are so lucky, when she goes down for the night, it is truly for the night. Such a good baby. :)

This morning has been busy. I have had the great pleasure of cleaning up not one, not two, but three separate incidents of cat puke on the carpet. I kind of hate the cats right now. Make that cat, I know exactly which little devil is choosing to puke on the one tiny bit of carpet that we have in the entire house. So yes, on my hands and knees scrubbing cat puke. Joy.
I also had to scrub the cook top - I managed to have a massive boiling over of my soup last night. I thought I had gotten most of it then, but I discovered quite a bit of burned on goop today.
At least the baby is cute. All of her giggling while I was scrubbing made it more bearable.
It may be a little late (I Slack), but here is the fabulous Miss Darcy with the Easter Bunny.
                      

In other news, I am in love with Twittering. If you Twitter too, follow me - my username is darcysmom.


 

Dear Darcy,

On April 6^th you turned four months old. I can’t believe what a beautiful, strong, and engaging baby you are. At your well baby visit today we found out that you really are as perfect as we think you are. Your pediatrician was so pleased with your growth and development. He also loved your sunny personality – you charmed him just like you charm everyone around you. Even when it was time for you to get your shots, you handled them like a pro. You cried while the nurse was sticking you, but within a very few minutes you were looking around and smiling at the world. Every day is filled with so much joy for you that it is contagious. I thought I was happy before you came into my life; I didn’t really know what happiness was. Having you has made my heart expand far beyond what I thought was possible.

You are learning so many new things right now. You particularly like it when we play Pat-A-Cake with you or sing songs to you. Lately you have been cracking up when I sing you “This Old Man.” You also think it is great when I make up little songs that include your name.

You are also fascinated by the alphabet song. You love to watch how my lips form the different letters. I can see the wheels in your mind turning; you are working so hard to figure out communication. One thing you have figured out is the rhythm of conversation. When you “talk” to us you pause and respond in the correct places. It is absolutely darling and hilarious. You are so much like your Mama – you always have a lot to say.

You have started to figure out how to use your hands. You are doing a lot more intentional grabbing. You like to play with the bird on your bouncy seat most of all. When you think we aren’t watching you, you will grab a hold of the bird and talk to him. I would dearly love to know what you are saying – it is usually something that makes you laugh.

You laugh a lot every day. It is wonderful! It has been in the last few days that you have started to giggle when I kiss your cheeks. It has taken you quite some time to decide that kisses are a good thing. You are beginning to get it. Sometimes I can kiss you in just the right spot on your neck to make you squeal with laughter. I love it when that happens.

Today, for the very first time, you laughed and giggled your way through your bath. I got in the tub with you and you were able to float on your back and on your tummy with me helping you. You thought that was great! You also really enjoy standing and jumping in the water. For once, you didn’t even mind getting soaped up and rinsed off.

One big thing that is just starting up for you is teething. You are a master drooler! Some days you go through three or four bibs. So far I haven’t felt any bumps on your gums, but some days they are tender and swollen. That means that the appearance of a tooth isn’t very far away. You amaze me – even when you aren’t feeling very good because your mouth hurts, you still smile and giggle. You just ask for, and get, more cuddles.

Cuddling is your favorite way to fall asleep. You like it best when I hold you tight against me and rock you. When we are cuddling, your whole body relaxes and it only takes you a few minutes to fall asleep. If you have been upset, cuddling calms you down very quickly and helps you get back in control of yourself.

I haven’t talked about how much you love your Daddy yet. Oh my goodness, your whole face lights up when he walks into the room. You already have a very special relationship with your Daddy that is distinct and separate from your relationship with me. The two of you play differently, you relax together differently, and you even fall asleep differently with him. It melts my heart to see the two of you together.

As much as you love him, he loves you so much more. In the next couple of weeks, you and Daddy are going to start spending a lot more time together. He is going to take care of you when I am teaching morning classes. He is so excited! He can’t wait to have you to himself every morning. Your Daddy has big plans for fun things the two of you will do.

Both your Daddy and I are so happy that you are our baby. We have had so much fun with you these last four months and we know it will only get better.

All My Love,

Mama