The Declaration of Independence

The text

The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and states the
reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence on July 4,
1776.
The Declaration opens with a preamble describing the documents necessity in
explaining why the colonies have overthrown their ruler and chosen to take their
place as a separate nation in the world.
All men are created equal and there are certain unalienable rights that
governments should never violate.
These rights include the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
When a government fails to protect those rights, it is not only the right, but also
the duty of the people to overthrow that government.
In its place, the people should establish a government that is designed to protect
those rights.
Governments are rarely overthrown, and should not be overthrown for trivial
reasons.
In this case, a long history of abuses has led the colonists to overthrow a
tyrannical government.
The King of Great Britain, George III, is guilty of 27 specific abuses.
The King interfered with the colonists right to self-government and the right to a
fair judicial system.
Acting with Parliament, the King also instituted a legislation that affected the
colonies without their consent.
This legislation levied taxes on the colonists.
It also required them to quarter British soldiers, removed their right to trial by
jury and prevented them from trading freely.
Additionally, the King and Parliament are guilty of outright destruction of
American life and property by their refusal to protect the colonies boarders, the
confiscation of American ships at sea and their intent to hire foreign mercenaries
to fight against the colonists.
The colonial governments tried to reach a peaceful reconciliation of these
differences with Great Britain but were continually ignored.
Colonists who appealed to British citizens were similarly ignored, despite their
shared common heritage and their just cause.
After many peaceful attempts, the colonists have no choice but to declare
independence from Great Britain.
The new nation will be called the United States of America and will have no
further connections with Great Britain.
The new government will reserve the right to levy war, make peace, make
alliances with foreign nations, conduct trade and do anything else that nations do.

Glossary:
Preamble= the introductory statement part of a law, constitution declaring its
intention.

Overthrow= to remove ( a leader, dictator, king , queen etc ) from a position of

power by force.
Nation= a community of persons not constituting a state but bound by common
descent, language, history etc.
Unalienable= a variant of inalienable which means that cannot be taken away;
not transferable to another.
Government= the political system by which direction and control over the
actions of the members or citizens of a community, society, state, etc., is
exercised; the direction of the affairs of a state, community, etc.
Trivial= of little importance; petty or frivolous.
Tyrannical= oppressive, unfairly or unjustly harsh, difficult, or cruel.
George III= George III was one of the longest reigning British Monarchs. He
oversaw the conquest of an empire in the Seven Years' War, and the loss of the
American Colonies in the War of Independence.
Self-government= government of a state by its own people.
Parliament= an assembly of the representatives of a political nation or people,
often the supreme legislative authority.
Legislation= the act or process of making laws.
Consent= permission, approval, or agreement.
Levy= a collecting of a tax by authority or force.
Quarter= to give to or provide (someone) with a place to stay.
Outright= complete, total.
Heritage= something that comes or belongs to one by reason of being born to
certain parents, born at a certain time, or in a certain country, esp. the traditions
and ways of life.