The Declaration of Independence (translated for 10th graders)

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them to another nation and to assume the separate but equal standing to which the laws of nature gives people. A respect for the world stability requires that we should declare the causes which motivate our 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 among these are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights, governments are created from the people getting their power from the vote of the people. When any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to change or eliminate that government and create a new government that will support the people’s safety and happiness. Patience will prove that the US is not changing because of a one minor reason. We have suffered many abuses from the powerful king. It is the right and duty of the people to overthrow the abusive government and create a new government for our security. The King has established a tyranny over these states. To prove this let the facts be submitted to an open world.

  1. King George refused our laws necessary for the good of the people
  2. He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate importance
  3. He refused us to pass laws for ourselves and does not allow us to have representation in Parliament
  4. He has called secret meetings in distant lands to discuss our Colonies business
  5. He has closed down meetings that discuss the rights of people
  6. He did not allow us to naturalize foreign citizens and does not encourage foreigners to migrate to this country.
  7. He has not allowed us to form our own court system
  8. He makes judges follow his rules because he pays them their salaries
  9. He has created new leaders designed to harass us
  10. He keeps a standing army in our neighborhoods in times of peace.
  11. The military only listens to the King and not local representatives.
  12. He controls us in a different ways than is allowed according to British law.
  13. For forcing us to house and feed his armies.
  14. For protecting the troops who commit murder of us Americans by holding mock trials.
  15. For not allowing us to trade with different parts of the world.
  16. For imposing taxes without our consent.
  17. For depriving us a trial by a jury of our neighbors.
  18. For arresting us and sending us overseas for pretend offenses
  19. For giving our territory to someone else and allowing that territory to make laws for us.
  20. By suspending our law makers and declaring that the British laws overrule our laws.
  21. By waging war against us.
  22. He steals our trade goods, controlled our coasts, burnt down our towns and destroyed the lives of our people.
  23. He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign hired fighters to enforce the tyrannical rules over us. He is totally unworthy of a head of a civilization.
  24. He has forced colonists, captured on the sea, to fight against us and to become executioners.
  25. Has started fights between us and encouraged the Indians to fight against us

In every above argument we asked for them to stop in the most civilized terms. Our repeated requests have been answered by repeated injury. We conclude that the King is a tyrant and is unfit to rule us as a nation.

We have asked our fellow British citizens to pressure the Parliament to stop the unwanted control over these colonies. We reminded them that we are all British subjects. They also ignore us. We must hold every British subject who disagrees with our separation as Enemies in War and friends in Peace.

We therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world to help is in our claim and in the name 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. We are absolved from our allegiance to the British Crown. All political connection between us and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved and that we are Free and Independent States. We have full power to declare war, make peace, contract alliances with foreign countries, establish trade, and do all other acts that independent states may of right do. We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.