1、美国独立宣言是一份于 1776 年 7 月 4 日由托玛斯杰斐逊起草，并由其它 13 个殖民地代表签署的最初声明美国从英国独立的文件。在整个 18 世纪 60 年代和 18 世纪 70 年代之间，英国和其北美殖民地之间的关系日益紧张。1775 年，在莱克星顿和康科德城爆发了战争，这标志着美国之革命战争的开始。虽然最初的想法并不是完全的独立，但是托马斯佩因的小册子常识促使人们相信对于殖民地来说，完全的独立是唯一可能的出路。被采纳的独立宣言是由维吉尼亚州的理察亨利李提交给大陆议会的，在独立宣言中写道：“我们以这些殖民地的善良人民的名义和权力，谨庄严地宣布并昭告：这些联合殖民地从此成为、而且名正言顺
2、地应当成为自由独立的合众国；它们解除对于英王的一切隶属关系，而它们与大不列颠王国之间的一切政治联系亦应从此完全废止。 ”委员会的成员由马萨诸塞州的约翰亚当斯、宾夕法尼亚州的本杰明弗兰克林、维吉尼亚的杰斐逊、纽约的罗伯特R利文斯通和康乃狄克的罗杰谢尔曼组成，并被组成以起草合适的宣言。杰斐逊起草了很大一部分。在宣言被大陆议会采纳以前，在刑事法庭上被重写，其中一个被移除的篇章涉及奴隶制度。托马斯。杰斐逊(1743 1826)作为一个包括约翰亚当斯和班哲明富兰克林在内的起草委员会的成员，起草了美国独立宣言的第一稿。大陆议会对杰斐逊的草稿作了重大改动，特别是在乔治亚州和南卡罗来纳州代表们的坚持下，删去了
3、他对英王乔治三世允许在殖民地存在奴隶制和奴隶买卖的有力谴责。(被删去的内容中一部分是这样写的：“他向人性本身发动了残酷的战争，侵犯了一个从未冒犯过他的远方民族的最神圣的生存权和自由权，他诱骗他们，并把他们运往另一半球充当奴隶，或使他们惨死在运送途中。 ”) 1776 年 7 月 4 日，大陆会议通过了这份宣言。托马斯杰斐逊生于维吉尼亚一个富裕的家庭。他曾就读于威廉玛丽学院，并于 1767年在维吉尼亚获得律师资格。1769 年，他当选为维吉尼亚下院议员，并积极参加独立运动，而且代表维吉尼亚出席大陆议会。他两次当选为维吉尼亚州长，还担任过美国驻法大使。1800 年他竞选总统时，与阿伦伯尔所得选举人
4、票数相等，后由众议院选择杰斐逊当总统。杰斐逊曾写道， 独立宣言是“吁请世界的裁判” 。 自 1776 年以来， 独立宣言中所体现的原则就一直在全世界为人传诵。美国的改革家们，不论是出于什么动机，不论是为了废除奴隶制，禁止种族隔离或是要提高妇女的权利，都要向公众提到“人人生而平等” 。不论在什么地方，当人民向不民主的统治作斗争时，他们就要用杰斐逊的话来争辩道，政府的“正当权力是经被治者同意所授予的” 。托马斯杰斐逊(THOMAS JEFFERSON)独立宣言The Declaration of Independence(American Memory Collection, Library of
5、 Congress)1776 年 7 月 4 日，美利坚合众国十三州议会一致通过的宣言。在人类事务发展的过程中，当一个民族必须解除同另一个民族的联系，并按照自然法则和上帝的旨意，以独立平等的身份立于世界列国之林时，出于对人类舆论的尊重，必须把驱使他们独立的原因予以宣布。我们认为下述真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，造物主赋予他们若干不可让与的权利，其中包括生存权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。为了保障这些权利，人类才在他们中间建立政府，而政府的正当权力，则是经被治者同意所授予的。任何形式的政府一旦对这些目标的实现起破坏作用时，人民便有权予以更换或废除，以建立一个新的政府。新政府所依据的原则和组织其权力
6、的方式，务使人民认为唯有这样才最有可能使他们获得安全和幸福。若真要审慎地来说，成立多年的政府是不应当由于无关紧要的和一时的原因而予以更换的，过去的一切经验都说明，任何苦难，只要尚能忍受，人类还是情愿忍受，也不想为申冤而废除他们久已习惯了的政府形式。然而，当始终追求同一目标的一系列滥用职权和强取豪夺的行为表明政府企图把人民置于专制暴政之下时，人民就有权，也有义务，去推翻这样的政府，并为其未来的安全提供新的保障。这就是这些殖民地过去忍受苦难的经过，也是他们现在不得不改变政府制度的原因。当今大不列颠国王的历史，就是屡屡伤害和掠夺这些殖民地的历史，其直接目标就是要在各州之上建立一个独裁暴政，为了证明上
7、述句句属实，现将事实公诸于世，让公正的世人作出评判。他拒绝批准对公众利益最有益、最必需的法律。他禁止他的殖民总督批准刻不容缓、极端重要的法律，要不就先行搁置这些法律直至征得他的同意，而这些法律被搁置以后，他又完全置之不理。他拒绝批准便利大地区人民的其它法律，除非这些地区的人民情愿放弃自己在立法机构中的代表权，而代表权对人民是无比珍贵的，只有暴君才畏惧它。他把各州的立法委员会召集到一个异乎寻常、极不舒适而又远离它们的档案库的地方去开会，其目的无非是使他们疲惫不堪，被迫就范。他一再解散各州的众议院，因为后者坚决反对他侵犯人民的权利。他在解散众议院之后，又长期拒绝另选他人，于是这项不可剥夺的立法权便
8、归由普通人民来行使，致使在这期间各州仍处于外敌入侵和内部骚乱的种种危险之中。他力图阻止各州增加人口，为此目的，他阻挠外国人入籍法的通过，拒绝批准其它鼓励移民的法律，并提高分配新土地的条件。他拒绝批准建立司法权力的法律，以阻挠司法的执行。他迫使法官为了保住任期、薪金的数额和支付而置于他个人意志的支配之下。 他滥设新官署，委派大批官员到这里骚扰我们的人民，吞噬他们的财物。他在和平时期，未经我们立法机构同意，就在我们中间维持其常备军。他施加影响，使军队独立于文官政权之外，并凌驾于文官政权之上。他同他人勾结，把我们置于一种既不符合我们的法规也未经我们法律承认的管辖之下，而且还批准他们炮制的各种伪法案，
9、以便任其在我们中间驻扎大批武装部队；不论这些人对我们各州居民犯下何等严重的谋杀罪，他可用假审判来庇护他们，让他们追逐法外；他可以切断我们同世界各地的贸易；未经我们同意便向我们强行征税；在许多案件中剥夺我们享有陪审制的权益；以莫须有的罪名把我们押送海外受审；他在一个邻省废除了英国法律的自由制度，在那里建立专制政府，扩大其疆界，使其立即成为一个样板和合适的工具，以便向这里各殖民地推行同样的专制统治；他取消我们的许多特许状，废除我们最珍贵的法律并从根本上改变我们各州政府的形式；他中止我们立法机构行使权力，宣称他们自己拥有在任何情况下为我们制定法律的权力。他们放弃设在这里的政府，宣布我们已不属他们保护
10、之列，并向我们发动战争。他在我们的海域大肆掠夺，蹂躏我们的沿海地区，烧毁我们的城镇，残害我们人民的生命。他此时正在运送大批外国雇佣兵，来从事其制造死亡、荒凉和暴政的勾当，其残忍与卑劣从一开始就连最野蛮的时代也难以相比，他已完全不配当一个文明国家的元首。他强迫我们在公海被他们俘虏的同胞拿起武器反对自己的国家，使他们成为残杀自己亲友的刽子手，或使他们死于自己亲友的手下。他在我们中间煽动内乱，并竭力挑唆残酷无情的印地安蛮子来对付我们边疆的居民，而众所周知，印地安人作战的准则是不分男女老幼，是非曲直，格杀勿论。在遭受这些压迫的每一阶段，我们都曾以最谦卑的言辞吁请予以纠正。而我们一次又一次的请愿，却只是
11、被报以一次又一次的伤害。一个君主，其品格被他的每一个只有暴君才干得出的行为所暴露时，就不配君临自由的人民。我们并不是没有想到我们英国的弟兄。他们的立法机关想把无理的管辖权扩展到我们这里来，我们时常把这个企图通知他们。我们也曾把我们移民来这里和在这里定居的情况告诉他们。我们曾恳求他们天生的正义感和雅量，念在同种同宗的份上；弃绝这些掠夺行为，因为这些掠夺行为难免会使我们之间的关系和来往中断。可他们对这种正义和同宗的呼声也同样充耳不闻。因此，我们不得不宣布脱离他们，以对待世界上其它民族的态度对待他们：同我交战者，就是敌人；同我和好者，即为朋友。因此；我们这些在大陆会议上集会的美利坚合众国的代表们，以
12、各殖民地善良人民的名义，并经他们授权，向世界最高裁判者申诉，说明我们的严正意向，同时郑重宣布：我们这些联合起来的殖民地现在是，而且按公理也应该是，独立自由的国家；我们取消对英国王室效忠的全部义务，我们与大不列颠王国之间的一切政治联系从此全部断绝，而且必须断绝；作为一个独立自由的国家，我们完全有权宣战、缔和、结盟、通商和采取独立国家有权采取的一切行动。我们坚定地信赖神明上帝的保佑，同时以我们的生命、财产和神圣的名誉彼此宣誓来支援这一宣言。Fragment of a draft of the Declaration（这个作品在美国属于公有领域，因为它是美国联邦政府的作品。 ）John Trumbu
13、ll s painting美国独立宣言（本图像已被作者或版权持有者放在了公共领域，它的版权已经中止，或者它的版权已过期，或者它不受版权保护，这适用于全世界。 ）The Declaration of IndependenceIn CONGRESS, July 4, 1776The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political
14、 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 Nature and Natures God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separatio
15、n.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 they are among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among them, deriving th
16、eir just power 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 organizing its powers in such form, as to th
17、em 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 shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than
18、t 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 government, and to provide ne
19、w 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 usurpations, all having in direct object tyranny over thes
20、e 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 importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be ob
21、tained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend 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
22、.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 invas
23、ion on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolution, 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 meantime exposed to all the dangers o
24、f invasion from without and convulsion within.He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws of naturalizing of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the condition of new appropriations of lands.He has
25、 obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent of laws for establishing judiciary powers.He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their office, and the amount and payment of their salary.He has erected a multitude of new officers, and sent hither swarms of
26、 officers to harass our people, and eat out our substances.He has kept among us, in times 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 jurisdictio
27、n 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 murder which they should commit on the inhabitants of these State
28、s.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 offenses;For abolishing the free systems of English laws in a neighboring Pr
29、ovince, 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 these Colonies;For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of o
30、ur 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 town
31、s, 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 parallel in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of
32、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 hands.He has excited domestic insurrection amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on
33、the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petition have been answered only
34、 by repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantab
35、le jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpation, which would inevitably interrupt our connectio
36、ns and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them., as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.We, therefore, the Representatives of the Unit
37、ed States of America, in General Congress assembled , appealing to the supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United States Colonies and Independent States; that
38、they are absolved by from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
