Project Gutenberg 1971-12-01 Public domain in the USA. 1849 Jefferson, Thomas 1743 1826 United States President (1801-1809) The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America This is the original PG edition. See also our revised edition: #16780 See also #300 "The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America" by Thomas Jefferson is a historic and foundational document penned in the late 18th century during the American Revolutionary period. This work primarily serves as a formal statement declaring the thirteen American colonies' separation from British rule, asserting their right to self-governance and independence. It encapsulates the philosophical underpinnings of democracy, highlighting fundamental human rights and the social contract between the government and the governed. The text begins with a powerful introduction that outlines the principles of equality and the unalienable rights of individuals to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It details the various grievances against King George III, illustrating how his actions have eroded the colonists' rights and justified their decision to seek independence. By listing these grievances, the document seeks to assert the colonies' legitimate claim to self-determination. The Declaration culminates in a solemn proclamation of independence, stating that the colonies are entitled to be free and independent states, free from British authority and capable of forming their own alliances, levying war, and engaging in commerce. The Declaration's closing emphasizes the signers' mutual pledge to support this cause, reinforcing the commitment of the colonists to their newly proclaimed liberty. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources United States. Declaration of Independence E201 JK Text Politics American Revolutionary War United States Law Browsing: History - American Browsing: History - Warfare Browsing: Politics 54192 54229 2024-09-01T03:30:10.938338 2023-10-01T03:30:16.538067 text/html text/html 131865 2021-01-28T05:38:53 text/html 2189844 2021-01-28T05:38:53 text/html application/zip 2250529 2024-09-01T03:30:17.222834 application/epub+zip 2247663 2024-09-01T03:30:12.708373 application/epub+zip 81524 2024-09-01T03:30:11.618378 application/epub+zip 2430224 2024-09-01T03:30:19.240872 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 2422326 2024-09-01T03:30:16.317805 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 251909 2022-09-01T03:30:13.576159 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 118834 118862 2024-09-01T03:30:10.323370 2023-10-01T03:30:15.962057 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 120943 2021-01-01T05:10:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 45741 2021-01-01T05:10:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19483 2024-09-01T03:30:19.408791 application/rdf+xml 23761 2024-09-01T03:30:12.005330 image/jpeg 4662 2024-09-01T03:30:11.817341 image/jpeg 2225867 2024-09-01T03:30:10.980397 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia