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| Signing of the Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776 |
This document was signed....
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.Today, and most especially tonight, we celebrate the secession of thirteen colonies from the British Empire. Let us put on a magnificent nationwide firework display for the whole world this evening, as we Americans show to all the inhabitants of planet earth just how much we revel in the right of secession.
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....
....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.
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10 comments:
"I would rather be governed by one tyrant three thousand miles away than by three thousand tyrants one mile away" (a line from Mel Gibson's "the Patriot" Pete Frey.
Have a happy Barrydependence Day, Sir Knight.
Happy Dependence Day to the 99%.
Signed,
CP, another 99%er
Almighty God, Merciful Father - please restore us to Your grace, rebuild us in Your image, let her fulfill her destiny, the reason you called her into being. In Jesus name, Amen. Our Lady of America, Pray for us!
Is Independence Day really happy? Should we really be celebrating revolution?
This raises a related question: Were most Catholic settlers Royalists?
That's a very good question Alan. I think it's a complicated answer. The king was Protestant, and England had a history of Protestant kings/queens actually persecuting Catholics in England. In fact, the colony of Maryland (Mary's Land) was created by Lord Baltimore specifically as a safe haven for English and Irish Catholics to flee royal persecution. So in answer to your question, I think the Catholic support for Independence was probably on par with Protestant support, which at the time was split right down the middle. In fact, support for independence dropped radically as soon as the war started. By the middle of the Revolutionary War, support for independence had dropped to just 30%. It didn't pick up again until after the war was won by those advocating Independence.
Pete, actually Mel Gibson's line in that film was borrowed from real history. It was originally credited to the Rev. Dr. Mather Byles, Sr. (a Congregationalist minister) who is said to have uttered it on March 8, 1770 during the large funeral procession for the victims of the Boston Massacre. He is reported to have said it privately to a companion while watching the crowd clamouring for independence from the king in exchange for democratic self-rule. Speaking to a young companion, he asked... "Which is better — to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away, or by three thousand tyrants not a mile away?"
thank you Sir Knight for the clarification. I knew it had been spoken in reality, just did not recall the person who said it. Now, if you will permit a correction: I believe Maryland was NOT named for our Lady, but rather for Queen Mary of England. Catholics did eventually lose title to the colony and it reverted to protestant hands. The only exception was the vastly rich Carrol family, Charles Carrol being the only catholic to sign the D of I, and who later financed the revolutionary war, and a close friend of both Washington and Franklin. Catholic tolerance was much more in evident one colony to the north: Pennsylvania, which was the only one of the 13 to grant freedom to Catholics, under William Penn's "Charter of Liberties" While not exactly welcome with open arms, catholics DID enjoy more freedom here than in most of the other colonies. Some of the oldest continuingly used parishes in the US are to be found in Philadelphia, only blocks from Independence Hall. Pete Frey
Sorry, I meant "Loyalists," not "Royalists," above. (I suppose the Loyalists could've been Royalists, though…)
Thanks for the answer above, Catholic Knight.
Even though the kings persecuted Catholics and overtaxed Americans, that still doesn't take away their civil authority or justify revolution, does it?
Thanks
The states "right" to secession was taken away due to the civil war. Lincoln saved the union but destroyed one of the basic tenants of our founding fathers. Hard to swallow but its the truth....
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