美國之所以偉大不因它完美 而是因為我們可以使它變的更好 ---歐巴馬
歐巴馬在寫給女兒的信中提到 他媽媽在他小時後就讀獨立宣言的頭幾行給他聽
他說:
有時候為了保護我們的國家，我們不得不把青年男女派到戰場或其他危險的地方，然而當我們這麼做的時候，我要確保師出有名，我們盡了全力以和平方式化解與他人的爭執，也想盡了一切辦法保障男女官兵的安全。我要每個孩子都明白，這些勇敢的美國人在戰場上捍衛的福祉是無法平白得到的：在享有作為這個國家公民的偉大特權之際，重責大任也隨之而來。
這正是我在你們這年紀時，外婆想要教我的功課，她把獨立宣言開頭幾行念給我聽，告訴我有一些男女為了爭取平等挺身而出遊行抗議，因為他們認為兩個世紀前白紙黑字寫下來的這些句子，不應只是空話。
獨立宣言之本文可分為五個章節：序文、前言、控訴英王喬治三世、譴責英人、與總結。（但獨立宣言本文中並沒有這五個章節的標題。）
序文
美洲十三合眾州全體一致宣告
此時此刻，於人事發展進程中，斯屬必要者，業為解消一群人民與他群間之政治捆縛，並視其地位─基於自然律與造物主之賜─於塵世諸政權間為互不隸屬且相互平等，適切尊重人類宣告獨立的目標理想之需求。
前言
我等之見解為，下述真理不證自明：凡人生而平等，秉造物者之賜，擁諸無可轉讓之權利，包含生命權、自由權、與追尋幸福之權（原意為：擁有私人資產之權）。
茲確保如此權力，立政府於人民之間，經受統治者之同意取得應有之權力；特此，無論何種政體於何時壞此標的，則人民有權改組或棄絕之，並另立新政府，本此原則，以成此型式之政權，因其影響人民之安全幸福至鉅。
深思熟慮後，當得此論，即建立長久之政府，不應以無足輕重之理由改組，而基於已知之過往，世人寧可容忍積重難返之邪僻。然當連串之濫權者與篡奪者執迷不悟，迫人民屈伏於絕對專制下時，推翻此政府，是其權利，是其義務，並為未來之安穩提供新保障。
控訴
此限制已令各殖民地長久不堪，此事現今亦已成為必要，即由人民改變過往政府體制。大不列顛今上長久以來剝下益上，直接導致遍及各州之專制暴政。為證明斯言屬實，且將事實呈交公正之世間。
他拒絕批准，俾益最深且對公眾利益至關緊要之法條。
他禁止轄下總督們通過當前迫切而必要之法條，延宕法條直至得其恩准；而於留中不發期間，他徹底置之不理。
他拒絕通過其他法條以調解廣大行政區內之人民，除非人民放棄於立法機構內之代表權，此為人民至高無上之權，唯暴君畏之懼之。
他於異常、不當、且遠離公共紀綠保管之處所召集民意代表與會，唯一目的為使其因疲於奔命而屈從於他個人之意旨。
他反覆解散議會，因其勇於堅決反對他侵犯民權。
他長期拒絕─於議會解散之後─使其他人當選以讓立法權─無可消滅者─回歸由多數民意行使；國家長期暴露於一切可能導致動亂之危機。
他力阻各州增加人口，為達目的而阻撓外籍歸化法，拒絕通過鼓勵移民內附之法條，並提高撥用新土地之門檻。
他拒絕通過建立司法權之相關法條，藉以妨礙司法。
他置司法於個人意志之下，獨斷決定其職位與薪資之數目與款項。
他設立大量新機構，送來成群的官吏吸取民脂民膏。
他於吾民之間維持常備軍─於承平時期─不經議會同意。
他酬庸軍權，使之自外於，並超逾民權。
他勾結他人，使我等隸屬之司法體制，既逾越於憲法，亦未經律令之認可。御准虛有其表之議會所炮製之種種法案：
於吾民中駐紮大軍：
以偽審判卵翼殺人犯逍遙法外：
切斷吾民與他方之貿易往來：
不經吾民同意即開徵稅賦：
多次剝奪吾民由陪審團聽審之權益：
押送吾民至海外，審以羅織之罪名：
廢止英式自由法制於一鄰省，立專制政府於其中，並擴展其疆域，作為樣板與便宜行事之手段，用以推行相同之威權統治至各殖民地中
奪吾民之憲章，廢止我最具價值之律法並根本改變我政府體制：
中斷我之立法職能，而聲稱他們有權為我一切大小事宜立法。
他拋棄此地之政務，聲明吾民不在其保護之下，對吾民強加戰爭之重荷。
他掠奪我海域，踐踏沿岸，焚燒城鎮，殘民以逞。
他刻正運來大批外籍傭兵以恣意屠戮、蹂躪、與妄為，其手段之虐酷與卑劣幾與最野蠻之時代毫無二致，作為一個文明國家之元首，完全失格。
他強俘吾民於公海且武裝之，以對其母國不利，強令其成為親朋好友之劊子手，或被害者。
他煽動內亂於吾民之間，圖我開疆拓土之民；眾所周知，未開化之印地安野人作戰法則為不分男女老幼格殺勿論。
於承受如此壓迫之時期吾民謙詞請願興革：吾民一再之請願遭回以反覆之傷害。一國之君，其品格已然烙下可稱為殘虐之措施時，已不配作為自由民之統治者。
譴責
並非我等未曾顧念我不列顛之同胞。我等曾不時警示其企圖，即外延立法權以將非法之司法管轄權籠罩吾民。我等曾提醒其民，我移民與墾殖者之狀況。我等曾籲其天生之正義感與雅量，我等曾求其以同文同種之情一改前非，其作為，無可避免地影響雙方之關係與往來。他們對情理之聲充耳不聞。我等必須因而順勢宣告與之分離，並待之如待其餘人等，敵視我者敵視之，睦我者睦之，友我者友之。
總結
領銜簽署者們主張（現時人民須改組政府之態勢，不列顛致之），各殖民地有必要推翻與不列顛主權之政治束縛，成為獨立國家。結論之核心，包含於7月2日通過之李氏決議文。
我等，美利堅合眾國之代表，召開全員大會，為吾民之公正意向世界最崇高之正義籲求，以各殖民地正直善良民意之名義，及其授權，鄭重發表與宣告，團結之諸殖民地為，亦有權是，自由獨立之國家，有權宣戰、媾和、締盟、建立貿易關係、從事其他獨立國家有權行使之事務。為支持此宣言，以神賜之洲之屏障為堅固依靠，吾等相互託付生命、財產、與榮譽。
英文原文引用維基百科:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence#Text
The first sentence of the Declaration asserts as a matter of Natural Law the ability of a people to assume political independence, and acknowledges that the grounds for such independence must be reasonable, and therefore explicable, and ought to be explained.
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.
The next section, the famous preamble, includes the ideas and ideals that were principles of the Declaration. It is also an assertion of what is known as the "right of revolution": that is, people have certain rights, and when a government violates these rights, the people have the right to "alter or abolish" that government.
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 organizing 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 Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
The next section is a list of charges against King George which aim to demonstrate that he has violated the colonists' rights and is therefore unfit to be their ruler:
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 importance, 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 endeavoured 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 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 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 neighbouring 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 compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & 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 Hands.
- He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured 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. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only 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.
Many Americans still felt a kinship with the people of Great Britain, and had appealed in vain to the prominent among them, as well as to Parliament, to convince the King to relax his more objectionable policies toward the colonies.[70] The next section represents disappointment that these attempts had been unsuccessful.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable 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 usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections 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.
In the final section, the signers assert that there exist conditions under which people must change their government, that the British have produced such conditions, and by necessity the colonies must throw off political ties with the British Crown and become independent states. The conclusion incorporates language from Lee's resolution of independence that had been passed on July 2.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united 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 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 connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, 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.
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