The Declaration of Independence
(Modern Australian English)

In Congress, 4 July 1776
The united declaration of the thirteen States of America

When it becomes necessary for one people to break away from another, to cut the political ties that bind them, and to take up an equal and independent place in the world—as the laws of nature and the Creator entitle them to do—basic respect for the rest of humanity requires that they explain the reasons why.

We reckon these truths are obvious: that all people are created equal, that they’re born with rights no one can take away, among them the rights to live, to be free, and to chase happiness. To protect these rights, people set up governments, which only get their rightful power from the consent of the governed. When any government starts wrecking these rights, the people have the right—and the duty—to change or ditch it, and to set up a new one that’s more likely to keep them safe and happy.

Of course, common sense says that long-established governments shouldn’t be tossed aside for trivial or passing reasons. Experience shows that people are more likely to put up with bad situations while they’re bearable, than to shake things up by scrapping the system they’re used to. But when there’s a long, ongoing pattern of abuses and power-grabs, all clearly aimed at absolute dictatorship, the people not only have the right but the responsibility to get rid of such a government and put in new safeguards for their future. That’s exactly the position these colonies are in now. The patience of the colonies has been stretched thin, and the situation forces us to change our system.

The history of the current King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and overreaches, all with the aim of creating absolute tyranny over these States. To prove this, we lay out the facts for all to see:

• He’s refused to approve laws that are crucial for the public good.
• He’s blocked his governors from passing urgent laws, unless suspended until he gives the nod—then he ignores them anyway.
• He’s refused to pass laws for large groups of people unless they give up their right to representation—a right priceless to free people and feared only by tyrants.
• He’s made legislative bodies meet in far-off, awkward, and uncomfortable places, just to wear them down into compliance.
• He’s repeatedly dissolved elected assemblies for standing firm against his attacks on people’s rights.
• He’s refused to let new elections be held after dissolving assemblies, leaving the States exposed to invasion from abroad and unrest within.
• He’s tried to stop population growth by blocking immigration laws, refusing to encourage settlement, and making land harder to get.
• He’s blocked fair justice by refusing to approve laws setting up courts.
• He’s made judges dependent on his will alone for their jobs and pay.
• He’s created swarms of new offices and sent officials to harass us and bleed us dry.
• He’s kept standing armies among us in peacetime without our approval.
• He’s made the military superior to civilian power.He’s teamed up with others to impose foreign laws on us, approving acts of fake “legislation”:
  • For quartering large numbers of troops among us;
  • For protecting them from punishment, even when they kill our people;
  • For cutting off our trade with the rest of the world;
  • For taxing us without our consent;
  • For depriving us of trial by jury;
  • For shipping us overseas to be tried for made-up crimes;
  • For abolishing English law in a nearby province, setting up arbitrary rule there, and using it as a model for imposing tyranny here;
  • For taking away our charters, scrapping our most valuable laws, and completely changing our governments;
  • For suspending our legislatures and claiming the power to rule us in all matters whatsoever.
• He’s abandoned government here by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
• He’s plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and killed our people.
• He’s now bringing in large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the bloody, cruel work he’s already begun—acts of barbarity unworthy of a civilised leader.
• He’s forced our captured citizens to fight against their own country, to kill their mates and family, or die themselves.
• He’s stirred up rebellions at home and tried to unleash frontier tribes known for indiscriminate warfare against all.

At every stage of these oppressions, we’ve humbly petitioned for redress. Each time, we’ve been answered only with more injury. A ruler who acts this way—like a tyrant in every respect—is unfit to be the head of a free people.

Nor have we neglected our British brothers and sisters. Time and again we’ve warned them about attempts by their parliament to extend unjust control over us. We’ve reminded them of why we came here in the first place. We’ve appealed to their sense of justice and kinship, urging them to reject these usurpations that would inevitably damage our ties. They too have turned a deaf ear to justice and family. So we’re left with no choice but to declare separation, treating them—as we treat all others—as enemies in war, friends in peace.

Therefore, we, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the highest judge of the world for the honesty of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly declare:

That these united colonies are, and rightfully ought to be, free and independent States; that they are released from all allegiance to the British Crown; and that all political connection between them and Great Britain is, and ought to be, completely dissolved. As free and independent States, they have full power to wage war, make peace, form alliances, establish trade, and do all other things that independent states can rightfully do.

And for support of this declaration, relying firmly on divine providence, we pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour.