Notes: created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with 10 certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, 11 Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure 12 these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, 13 deriving their just powers from the consent of the 14 governed,—That whenever any Form of Government 15 becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the 16 People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new 17 Government, laying its foundation on such principles and 18 organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem 19 most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, 20 indeed, will dictate that Governments long established 21 should not be changed for light and transient causes; and 22 accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are 23 more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to 24 right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are 25 accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and 26 usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a 27 design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their 28 right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to 29 provide new Guards for their future security.—Such has 30 been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is 31 now the necessity which constrains them to alter their 32 former Systems of Government. The history of the present 33 Notes:
Notes: 10 created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with 11 certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, 12 Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure 13 these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, 14 deriving their just powers from the consent of the 15 governed,—That whenever any Form of Government 16 becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the 17 People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new 18 Government, laying its foundation on such principles and 19 organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem 20 most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, 21 indeed, will dictate that Governments long established 22 should not be changed for light and transient causes; and 23 accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are 24 more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to 25 right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are 26 accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and 27 usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a 28 design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their 29 right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to 30 provide new Guards for their future security.—Such has 31 been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is 32 now the necessity which constrains them to alter their 33 former Systems of Government. The history of the present Notes: