the delegates of the other colonies in Continental Congress, in the most vigorous measures for supporting the just rights and liberties of America; and, if you shall judge it necessary or expedient for this purpose, we empower you to join with them in declaring the United Colonies independent of Great-Britain, entering into a confederation for union and common defence, making treaties with foreign nations for commerce and assistance, and to take such other measures as may appear to them and you necessary for these great ends; promising to support them with the whole force of this province; always observing, that, whatever plan of confederacy you enter into, the regulating the internal police of this province is to be reserved to the colony legislature. By order of Congress.

Extract from the minutes:

SAMUEL TUCKER, President.
WM. PATTERSON, Secretary.

The board of war brought in a report, which was read in these words: Monsieur Le chevalier de Kirmovan, having produced to the board indubitable credentials of his good character and superior abilities in the art of war, and particularly as an engineer, the board resolved to recommend him to Congress as a person who can be much confided in; and it is the opinion of the board, that the committee of safety of Pennsylvania be reqested to employ him in planning and laying out the fortification agreed by Congress, to be erected at Billingsport, on the river Delaware.

The said report being again read,

Resolved, That the same be agreed to.

Resolved, That Mr. Hopkinson be added to the committee for preparing a plan of confederation.

Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to sell the committee of Salem county, in New-Jersey, 300 lbs. of powder.

The committee appointed to prepare a declaration, &c. brought in a draught, which was read:

Ordered, To lie on the table.

A petition from Christopher Champlain was presented to Congress and read:

Resolved, That it be referred to a committee of three:

The members chosen, Mr. Morris, Mr. Alsop, and Mr. Gerry.

Resolved, That Mr. Wisner, Mr. Paine, and Mr. Floyd be a committee to confer with Anthony Mosengeil, on the subject of manufacturing sulphur : That 30 dollars be advanced to the said committee, they to be accountable. Resolved, That the treasurers be empowered to advance to the committee of safety of Pennsylvania 100,000 dollars; the colony of Pennsylvania to be accountable.

Resolved, That the committee for superintending the treasury, be directed to nominate and appoint six persons to sign and number the million of dollars ordered to be struck in small change.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to nine o'clock on Monday next.

MONDAY, July 1, 1776.

Sundry letters were laid before Congress and read, viz.

Three from general Washington, of 27th and 28th of June, with sundry let

ters and papers enclosed :

One from the convention of New-Jersey, of the 29th:

One from the convention of New-Hampshire of the 17th:

One from brigadier-general Lewis of the 17th:

One from Benjamin Harrison, jun.

Resolved, That an order for 6000 dollars be drawn on the treasurers, in favor of Richard Graham, of Virginia, in full of a draught in his favor of the 20th

June, by brigadier-general Lewis; and that the same be charged to the account of Benjamin Harrison, deputy pay-master general for Virginia.

A resolution of the convention of Maryland, passed the 28th of June, was laid before Congress and read, as follows: "That the instructions given to their deputies in December last, be recalled, and the restrictions therein contained, removed; and that the deputies of said colony, or any three or more of them, be authorized and empowered to concur with the other United Colonies, or a majority of them, in declaring the United Colonies Free and Independent States; in forming such further compact and confederation between them; in making foreign alliances, and in adopting such other measures as shall be adjudged necessary for securing the liberties of America; and that said colony will hold itself bound, by the resolutions of the majority of the United Colonies, in the premises; provided, the sole and exclusive right of regulating the internal government and police of that colony be reserved to the people

thereof."

The order of the day being read,

Resolved, That this Congress will resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the resolution respecting independency: That the declaration be referred to said committee.

The Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole. After some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee had come to a resolution, which they desired him to report, and to move for leave to sit again.

The resolution agreed to by the committee of the whole being read, the determination thereof was, at the request of a colony, postponed till to-morrow. Resolved, That a brigadier-general, acting in a separate department, be allowed an aid-de-camp.

A letter of the 29th from general Washington was laid before Congress and

read.

Resolved, That the letters this day received, be referred to the board of war. Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the declaration respecting independence.

Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

TUESDAY, July 2, 1776.

Sundry letters were laid before Congress, and read:

One from general Washington, of the 30th of June, enclosing sundry papers; among which, a copy of a letter from lieutenant-colonel Campbell to general

Howe:

One from the council of Massachusetts-Bay of the 26th:

One from governor Trumbull of the 20th of the same month, and one from the pay-master general, with a weekly account:

Ordered, That the last be delivered to the board of treasury:

That the letter from lieutenant-colonel Campbell to general Howe, be published:

That the other letters be referred to the board of war.

The Congress resumed the consideration of the resolution reported from the committee of the whole; which was agreed to as follows:

Resolved, 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 connexion between them, and the state of GreatBritain, is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole; and, after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have had under consideration

the declaration to them referred; but, not having had time to go through the same, desired him to move for leave to sit again :

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration the declaration respecting independence.

Congress being informed, that, in obedience to their order, captain Whipple and captain Saltonstal were arrived in Philadelphia,

Resolved, That the marine committee enquire into the complaints exhibited against them, and report thereon to Congress.

Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, July 3, 1776.

A letter from the convention of New-Jersey, of the 2d, and a letter from the commissioners for Indian affairs in the southern department, dated Augusta, May 21, together with an account of their expenses, and the minutes of their conference with the Indians in that department, were laid before Congress, and read:

Resolved, That the account of the commissioners be referred to the commit tee on the treasury.

Congress took into consideration the letter from the convention of NewJersey; Whereupon,

Resolved, That the committee of safety of Pennsylvania be requested to send as many of the troops of their colony as they can spare, to Monmouth county, in New-Jersey, to the assistance of the inhabitants of that colony, and to be subject to the orders of the commander in chief; the said troops to be allowed the same pay and rations as the troops in the service of the continent, from the time of their march until their return:

That a circular letter be written to the committees of inspection of the several counties in Pennsylvania, where troops are raised, or raising, to form the flying-camp, requesting them to send the troops by battalions, or detachments of battalions, or companies, as fast as raised, to the city of Philadelphia, except those raised in the counties of Bucks, Berks, and Northampton, which are to be directed to march, as aforesaid, to New-Brunswick, in New-Jersey:

That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be sent to general Washington, and that he be desired to appoint a proper officer to command the flying-camp, and also direct proper persons to supply the men with rations.

Resolved, That the marine committee be empowered to contract with shipwrights, to go to Lake-Champlain, on the following terms:

To allow each man 34 dollars and two-thirds per month; one month's pay to be advanced, on their giving security, if required:

Each man to be allowed a ration and a half, and one half-pint of rum, per day:

Their tools and arms to be valued:

Two-thirds of their wages to be paid, monthly, to whomsoever they shall leave the power of receiving it:

Their pay to commence from the day they sign articles, and continue until they are discharged, with an allowance of one day's pay for every twenty miles, between the place where they are discharged, and their respective homes.

Resolved, That Dr. Franklin and Mr. Wilson, two of the commissioners for Indian affairs in the middle department, be authorized to discharge the bills. drawn by Mr. Morgan on the commissioners of that department.

Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the declaration; and, after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee, not having yet gone through it, desired leave to sit again. Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a comVOL. I.

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mittee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the Declaration of Independence.

Ajourned to nine o'clock to-morrow.

THURSDAY, July 4, 1776.

Resolved, That application be made to the committee of safety of Pennsyl vania for a supply of flints for the troops at New-York: and that Delaware government and Maryland, be requested to embody their militia for the flyingcamp, with all possible expedition, and to march them, without delay, to the city of Philadelphia.

Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the declaration; and after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have agreed to a declaration, which they desired him to report.

The declaration being read, was agreed to as follows:

A Declaration

BY THE

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.

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 or ganizing 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 go vernment, 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 im portance, 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 mean time, 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 migrations 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 harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

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

He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to, the 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 a 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 offences:

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 into 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, burnt 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 hand.

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 an undistinguished destruction, of all ages, sexes, and conditions.