thelibertybeacon--2020-07-04--KEN’S CORNER: Thomas Jefferson’s Favorite Greek Philosopher – Epicurus

Several days ago I was surfing Face Book for something of pertinent interest , and found a simple question poised on a very popular site .
I found a hundred comments from about twelve people who considered it with much passion .
‘ Should Cursive be taught in school ?
” I read each comment carefully , and all of them were emphatic , that yes , Cursive should be taught .
But I noticed an underlining presumption there , and so , proposed something none seemed to have considered .
One has to wonder how our founding fathers could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Liberty , a country controlled by a “ we the people , ” a republic based on law , with a Constitution and Bill of Rights set in place to protect us from tyranny .
Surely , they argued… and yet they came together for something they considered far bigger than their individual faiths , their suppositions and speculations based on their own specific world views , but all of it , in a nutshell , I propose here , came from a specific form of education .
An education whose motivation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not by some powerful mandate of collectivism , a propagandized mindset , and a designed test to justify it .
A book was expensive in 1776 , and rare for the common man , and if you wanted to read one most likely it was borrowed from a friend , or found in a rudimentary library .
They would sit outside where there was light , in the cool shade of a tree perhaps , and read .
It was long before government mandates on education , before cybercafe lies , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one lit a candle .
What was proposed in those early writings , was the formulation of a mindset , a specific and all-encompassing mindset based on philosophy… and so , when Jefferson wrote that his favorite Greek Philosopher was Epicurus , I wanted to know more .
I didn ’ t need to ask Big Brother permission to study this .
It was my idea , and my volition .
Just as our founders were men of their times , fleeing the oppression of Church-State European governments , and banker consortiums @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing , so too was Epicurus a man of his times… The Trojan and Persian Wars still clanged in the minds of men , and fickle and sometimes horny Gods of War permeated the Athens mindset , the capital head of what was called the Delian League .
This unity was born of conquest and war , trade and inspiration , and was an association of what was considered equal city-states that had joined together for mutual protection .
Its treasury was kept on the rocky isle of Delos , protected behind walls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military men .
Sound a bit familiar ?
But it was dangerous times , and out of fear , the treasury was moved to the Athenian Acropolis for safekeeping , and as these so called city states now contributed directly to Athens , an empire was born .
It grew , and with it schools of science , engineering , math and many educational institutions of art .
And in the middle of what was called “ Athens , the queen of Greece ” the light of philosophy grew .
And what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its way into every hollowed hall of learning around the world .
There , in the cool of evening , as the shadows of gardens fell on marble columns and dazzling pools of Maxfield Parish blue , men in togas taught methods of thinking , methods that are so profound , its fundamental premise is now our standard .
Oh , to have a time machine .
The grandfatherly Socrates who spoke to a paying audience of students about the justifications of philosopher Kings , where fascist dictators were chiseled from the flesh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to find truth .
Aristotle was there , speaking under a multicolored awning about a concept he had learned called common sense .
In his attempt to but order in what he saw to be a chaotic world , he classified , categorized , grouped and sorted , and though some current teachers poke fun at the fact that he put alligators and trees in the same class because they were green , surely his way of thinking was far more complex , and misunderstood .
Ah , Plato .
He talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a metaphor , that everything that is real is found in a cave , and yet , his questions into what we now consider to be reality lingers in the offshoots of religious dogma , the psychology and psych of the human mind from conscience thought to the assimilation of learning .
From his musings , the idea of a motivational attitude that can be both a curse and a blessing bent the minds of his listeners… .
And this was a cornerstone of our founding father ’ s education… and though they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come together for a common cause , those differences must be put aside .
And so , they called themselves Deists .
They also studied a mostly obscure philosopher , a humble man with a social philosophy so tolerant , his primary students were women… I give you Epicurus : Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who lived from 341 BC to 270 BC .
He is primarily known for the creation of a philosophical commune called the Garden in Athens .
It was there , after years of trying , that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ philosophy , and to this very day there is a sign on the gate that reads : Yes , the Epicureans were hedonists .
Found between the folds of Amen Ra , Zoroastrianism , and the veritable flood of philosophical ideas in a world thought to be in control of a selfish , vengeful , all powerful hen-pecked Zeus .
They believed we shouldn ’ t try and follow the ‘ will of God , ’ as the Stoics professed , because , among other things , that divine will is not understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Gods for their own power and control… .
And it is our goal , each of us , in what might otherwise be considered a cold and cruel world where Gods seem indifferent to our welfare… That we are responsible to find a bit of happiness and joy , with a true reason for being to focus on the many pleasure we may find here on Earth , before we die .
That is where truth lies , and the ultimate nature of men who seek it .
In his teachings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they show little or no interest in the affairs of men , accept , perhaps , when men are used to fulfill their own godly happiness , mostly selfish in nature .
Divine providence , as newly created philosophies taught , became institutionalized into a multitude of religions , but Epicurean taught what is called the atomistic view of the cosmos… He saw the universe to be a mass of swirling atoms , drifting chaotically , ‘ riddled with nothingness.
’ And it was up to each of us to assign not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquisition of the ultimate fulfillment , pleasure in its many aspects .
Pleasure , and the lack of pain… Lucretius , a Epicurean poet , eloquently suggested that we are lucky to have a few atoms who swerve by our control , as with them we are able to acquire free will and consciousness .
We can craft the lives we want , for the good and bad and right and wrong , and create happy lives , by our attitudes .
And when we die , our consciousness stops , and these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great celestial stew .
Many future followers of Epicurus were atheists , because in the atomic universe of Epicurus the supreme power and influence of Gods over men were downplayed , with the remainder of the philosophy still intact .
Without a universal law , divine providence , or absolute cosmic jurisprudence , it is all up to us , as responsible individuals , to choose the kind of life we want to have and live , and seek the values that will empower it .
He talked about human nature , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that we should attempt to pursue a life of pleasure over pain as much as possible , with our choices reflecting intelligence and rationality .
The veritable core of Epicurean Philosophy , as I see it , is like other Socratic traditions , where it is found that the cause of much of our human sufferings to be the acceptance of false , or flawed beliefs .
Primarily , we accept as fact that what we have been taught to think , will ultimately and necessarily produce happiness .
Found inside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers and flawed principles , false notions have propagated , like status , power , lust , gluttony , sloth , luxury and such .
We have been instilled with the thought that the acquiescence of these ideas and tangible assets are somehow tied to happiness… but it is evident by looking around that this can not possibly be true… .
Epicurus teachings indicated that these external goods and the pursuit of them can bring us much misery , a life of dullness and pain , and ultimate insanity .
Before choosing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider what pleasure you may acquire with the possibility of pain .
It was a rudimentary form of individual responsibility he was referring to , as indicated in an illustrated explanation of the pleasures of drinking wine .
One has to consider the pain of a hangover , sick bodies and damaged relationships… he taught… and so , we must try to restrict some desires , immediate gratification , for what might be more easily attained .
This singular element of Epicurean Philosophy gave his followers austere lives , following a simple way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethical , with a simple diet and few possessions , but in control of their own destiny , and considered free men , free thinkers… If your choices reflect a simple , uncomplicated life , you will be free of many of the aggravations that plague us all .
Working to support a lifestyle , for instance , enslaves one to support it .
When we sacrifice our lives with a boring , stressful , uninspired job to support some future possibility of happiness , the here and now is forfeit without any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this philosophy , as taught in my philosophy department , at times proposed that Epicureans were libertines , and I have challenged this idea…It seems that if left to pursue their lives , under a banner of liberty , like our American Constitution for instance , they would choose to live each precious moment given , without much thought for tomorrow , a tomorrow of uncertainty .
And yet , what perfect patriot is the man who finds himself enslaved ?
The pain of slavery , to the Epicurean , would not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might make a perfect Libertarian .
.
Surly , Mr. Jefferson must have been drawn to Epicurus for an emphatic reason , and what I would give for an afternoon of questions on his porch in Monticello .
I speculate that he was not drawn to it for its “ slacker ” nature , as some have suggested the Epicurean nature to be , but one who assigns value to ideals like love , passion , friendship , honor , and a way to free yourself from the bonds of negative emotions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Author , Ken La Rive – We in the Liberty movement have been fighting to take back this country for less than a decade , peacefully and with the love of God and country in our hearts .
Our banner has been trampled on and displaced by a multitude of distractions , further eroding our nation and the cause for Liberty .
And so , as we are pulled by forces we can not fathom , powerful entities with unlimited resources stolen from our future , unaccountable trillions printed out of thin air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we must formulate the most pitiful of all questions any patriot might ask in the final hour : Are we going to fight for our master ’ s tyranny , or are we going to demand the return of our civil liberties and Constitution ?
Are we going to choose The Banner of Liberty , or the shackles of voluntary servitude ?
Will it be a war for corporate profit , or a war to regain our ability to self govern , as the blood and toil of our forefathers presented to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gift ?
I fear that decision is emanate .
I fear that any decision will be a hard one , but my greatest fear of all is that the decision has already been made for us .

KEN’S CORNER: Thomas Jefferson’s Favorite Greek Philosopher – Epicurus
Commentary by TLB Contributing Writer: Ken LaRive
Several days ago I was surfing Face Book for something of pertinent interest, and found a simple question poised on a very popular site. I found a hundred comments from about twelve people who considered it with much passion. ‘Should Cursive be taught in school?”
I read each comment carefully, and all of them were emphatic, that yes, Cursive should be taught. But I noticed an underlining presumption there, and so, proposed something none seemed to have considered.
“Who, cares.” I said. “Why do we need a government curriculum to mandate the need to learn cursive? If you want to learn cursive, it is quite simple. Learn it. Open a book, take the time to practice it, and that skill now belongs to you. You don’t have to ask anyone for that.”
Jefferson’s founding principles…
One has to wonder how our founding fathers could come up with such a profound idea of Liberty, a country controlled by a “we the people,” a republic based on law, with a Constitution and Bill of Rights set in place to protect us from tyranny. Surely, they argued… and yet they came together for something they considered far bigger than their individual faiths, their suppositions and speculations based on their own specific world views, but all of it, in a nutshell, I propose here, came from a specific form of education. An education whose motivation comes from the joy of learning, and not by some powerful mandate of collectivism, a propagandized mindset, and a designed test to justify it.
A book was expensive in 1776, and rare for the common man, and if you wanted to read one most likely it was borrowed from a friend, or found in a rudimentary library. They would sit outside where there was light, in the cool shade of a tree perhaps, and read. It was long before government mandates on education, before cybercafe lies, and if you wanted to study after dark, one lit a candle. What was proposed in those early writings, was the formulation of a mindset, a specific and all-encompassing mindset based on philosophy… and so, when Jefferson wrote that his favorite Greek Philosopher was Epicurus, I wanted to know more. I didn’t need to ask Big Brother permission to study this. It was my idea, and my volition.

Epicurus, the Sage…
Just as our founders were men of their times, fleeing the oppression of Church-State European governments, and banker consortiums vying to be the last central bank standing, so too was Epicurus a man of his times…
The Trojan and Persian Wars still clanged in the minds of men, and fickle and sometimes horny Gods of War permeated the Athens mindset, the capital head of what was called the Delian League. This unity was born of conquest and war, trade and inspiration, and was an association of what was considered equal city-states that had joined together for mutual protection. Its treasury was kept on the rocky isle of Delos, protected behind walls and in deep vaults, guarded my military men. Sound a bit familiar?
But it was dangerous times, and out of fear, the treasury was moved to the Athenian Acropolis for safekeeping, and as these so called city states now contributed directly to Athens, an empire was born.
It grew, and with it schools of science, engineering, math and many educational institutions of art. And in the middle of what was called “Athens, the queen of Greece” the light of philosophy grew. And what was studied and learned there, has made its way into every hollowed hall of learning around the world.
There, in the cool of evening, as the shadows of gardens fell on marble columns and dazzling pools of Maxfield Parish blue, men in togas taught methods of thinking, methods that are so profound, its fundamental premise is now our standard.
Oh, to have a time machine. The grandfatherly Socrates who spoke to a paying audience of students about the justifications of philosopher Kings, where fascist dictators were chiseled from the flesh of tyranny by a surprised teacher who wanted to find truth.
Aristotle was there, speaking under a multicolored awning about a concept he had learned called common sense. In his attempt to but order in what he saw to be a chaotic world, he classified, categorized, grouped and sorted, and though some current teachers poke fun at the fact that he put alligators and trees in the same class because they were green, surely his way of thinking was far more complex, and misunderstood.
Ah, Plato. He talked about what some have come to think a metaphor, that everything that is real is found in a cave, and yet, his questions into what we now consider to be reality lingers in the offshoots of religious dogma, the psychology and psych of the human mind from conscience thought to the assimilation of learning. From his musings, the idea of a motivational attitude that can be both a curse and a blessing bent the minds of his listeners…. And this was a cornerstone of our founding father’s education… and though they read the Bible, most knew that to come together for a common cause, those differences must be put aside. And so, they called themselves Deists.
They also studied a mostly obscure philosopher, a humble man with a social philosophy so tolerant, his primary students were women… I give you Epicurus:
“I have always wanted to be a philosopher, from my earliest days. I love the quiet contemplation of my own mind. Does that sound vain? Dear me, I hope not immoderately so. For I also love moderation above all else. One could say that virtue of faith or love is supreme in the universe, but each of these, when taken to the extremes, become perverse, and stability is lost, and that leads to madness.”
Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who lived from 341 BC to 270 BC. He is primarily known for the creation of a philosophical commune called the Garden in Athens. It was there, after years of trying, that he and his followers contemplated and lived their philosophy, and to this very day there is a sign on the gate that reads:
‘Stranger, here you will do well to tarry. Here our highest good is pleasure’.
Yes, the Epicureans were hedonists. Found between the folds of Amen Ra, Zoroastrianism, and the veritable flood of philosophical ideas in a world thought to be in control of a selfish, vengeful, all powerful hen-pecked Zeus.
They believed we shouldn’t try and follow the ‘will of God,’ as the Stoics professed, because, among other things, that divine will is not understood. Men put words in the mouths of Gods for their own power and control…. And it is our goal, each of us, in what might otherwise be considered a cold and cruel world where Gods seem indifferent to our welfare… That we are responsible to find a bit of happiness and joy, with a true reason for being to focus on the many pleasure we may find here on Earth, before we die. That is where truth lies, and the ultimate nature of men who seek it.
Atheists?
In his teachings, Epicurus believed that gods existed, but that they show little or no interest in the affairs of men, accept, perhaps, when men are used to fulfill their own godly happiness, mostly selfish in nature. Divine providence, as newly created philosophies taught, became institutionalized into a multitude of religions, but Epicurean taught what is called the atomistic view of the cosmos… He saw the universe to be a mass of swirling atoms, drifting chaotically, ‘riddled with nothingness.’ And it was up to each of us to assign not only meaning, but aspire to the acquisition of the ultimate fulfillment, pleasure in its many aspects. Pleasure, and the lack of pain…
Lucretius, a Epicurean poet, eloquently suggested that we are lucky to have a few atoms who swerve by our control, as with them we are able to acquire free will and consciousness. We can craft the lives we want, for the good and bad and right and wrong, and create happy lives, by our attitudes. And when we die, our consciousness stops, and these so called atoms will dissipate into the great celestial stew. Many future followers of Epicurus were atheists, because in the atomic universe of Epicurus the supreme power and influence of Gods over men were downplayed, with the remainder of the philosophy still intact.
Without a universal law, divine providence, or absolute cosmic jurisprudence, it is all up to us, as responsible individuals, to choose the kind of life we want to have and live, and seek the values that will empower it. He talked about human nature, and how some choices are not reasoned, but that we should attempt to pursue a life of pleasure over pain as much as possible, with our choices reflecting intelligence and rationality.
The veritable core of Epicurean Philosophy, as I see it, is like other Socratic traditions, where it is found that the cause of much of our human sufferings to be the acceptance of false, or flawed beliefs. Primarily, we accept as fact that what we have been taught to think, will ultimately and necessarily produce happiness. Found inside of our minds and hearts, by improper teachers and flawed principles, false notions have propagated, like status, power, lust, gluttony, sloth, luxury and such. We have been instilled with the thought that the acquiescence of these ideas and tangible assets are somehow tied to happiness… but it is evident by looking around that this can not possibly be true…. Epicurus teachings indicated that these external goods and the pursuit of them can bring us much misery, a life of dullness and pain, and ultimate insanity.
Before choosing a direction, said Epicurus, weigh and consider what pleasure you may acquire with the possibility of pain. It was a rudimentary form of individual responsibility he was referring to, as indicated in an illustrated explanation of the pleasures of drinking wine. One has to consider the pain of a hangover, sick bodies and damaged relationships… he taught… and so, we must try to restrict some desires, immediate gratification, for what might be more easily attained. This singular element of Epicurean Philosophy gave his followers austere lives, following a simple way of living, fundamental, moral and ethical, with a simple diet and few possessions, but in control of their own destiny, and considered free men, free thinkers…
Overview…
If your choices reflect a simple, uncomplicated life, you will be free of many of the aggravations that plague us all. Working to support a lifestyle, for instance, enslaves one to support it. When we sacrifice our lives with a boring, stressful, uninspired job to support some future possibility of happiness, the here and now is forfeit without any form of guarantee.
Contemporary teachers of this philosophy, as taught in my philosophy department, at times proposed that Epicureans were libertines, and I have challenged this idea…It seems that if left to pursue their lives, under a banner of liberty, like our American Constitution for instance, they would choose to live each precious moment given, without much thought for tomorrow, a tomorrow of uncertainty. And yet, what perfect patriot is the man who finds himself enslaved? The pain of slavery, to the Epicurean, would not be tolerated, and so yes, they might make a perfect Libertarian.
Surly, Mr. Jefferson must have been drawn to Epicurus for an emphatic reason, and what I would give for an afternoon of questions on his porch in Monticello. I speculate that he was not drawn to it for its “slacker” nature, as some have suggested the Epicurean nature to be, but one who assigns value to ideals like love, passion, friendship, honor, and a way to free yourself from the bonds of negative emotions, by prioritizing your life.
Note: Special thanks to William Messner-Loebs and Sam Keith who explained it to me so eloquently. And please stay tuned for another noteworthy Philosopher, Marcus Aurelius…
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From the Author, Ken La Rive – We in the Liberty movement have been fighting to take back this country for less than a decade, peacefully and with the love of God and country in our hearts. Our banner has been trampled on and displaced by a multitude of distractions, further eroding our nation and the cause for Liberty. And so, as we are pulled by forces we cannot fathom, powerful entities with unlimited resources stolen from our future, unaccountable trillions printed out of thin air and put on our backs as debt, we must formulate the most pitiful of all questions any patriot might ask in the final hour: Are we going to fight for our master’s tyranny, or are we going to demand the return of our civil liberties and Constitution? Are we going to choose The Banner of Liberty, or the shackles of voluntary servitude? Will it be a war for corporate profit, or a war to regain our ability to self govern, as the blood and toil of our forefathers presented to us, their children, as a gift? I fear that decision is emanate. I fear that any decision will be a hard one, but my greatest fear of all is that the decision has already been made for us.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-07-04--July, 1776 Was a Critical Month in the History of the United States

July , 1776 was a critical month in the history of the United States .
The American Revolution was little more than a civil war .
The Continental Army was outnumbered three to one by the British and their German mercenaries .
The British Navy dominated the high seas , cutting off supplies and arms .
America sought support both domestically and internationally .
The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to draft a declaration of independence which would clearly state the reasons for the Revolution and acquire desperately needed soldiers , supplies , arms and ammunition .
Independence was formally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a date that John Adams believed would be “ the most memorable epocha in the history of America.
” On July 4 , 1776 , Congress approved the final text of the Declaration .
It wasn ’ t signed until August 2 , 1776 .
A 33 year-old Thomas Jefferson wrote the original draft which was revised in committee and by the entire Congress .
It was printed as a broadside on July 4 and distributed to be read publicly throughout the colonies .
To achieve even wider distribution , Congress ordered it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Continental Congress saw the Declaration of Independence as a powerful tool .
The support of nations like France , the Netherlands , and Poland was crucial .
Declaring independence made it possible to take the Revolution out of the arena of civil war and put it directly on the international stage as a war for independence .
The simplicity and eloquence of the Declaration of Independence immediately gained the attention of the world and has inspired democratic movements ever since .
Getting the word out was a priority .
The unanimous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , 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 .
We hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men are created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to provide new 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 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren .
We have warned them from time to time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War , in Peace Friends .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

July, 1776 was a critical month in the history of the United States. The American Revolution was little more than a civil war. The Continental Army was outnumbered three to one by the British and their German mercenaries. The British Navy dominated the high seas, cutting off supplies and arms.
America sought support both domestically and internationally. The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to draft a declaration of independence which would clearly state the reasons for the Revolution and acquire desperately needed soldiers, supplies, arms and ammunition.
Independence was formally declared on July 2, 1776, a date that John Adams believed would be “the most memorable epocha in the history of America.” On July 4, 1776, Congress approved the final text of the Declaration. It wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776.
A 33 year-old Thomas Jefferson wrote the original draft which was revised in committee and by the entire Congress. It was printed as a broadside on July 4 and distributed to be read publicly throughout the colonies. To achieve even wider distribution, Congress ordered it to be printed in newspapers as well.
The Continental Congress saw the Declaration of Independence as a powerful tool. The support of nations like France, the Netherlands, and Poland was crucial. Declaring independence made it possible to take the Revolution out of the arena of civil war and put it directly on the international stage as a war for independence. The simplicity and eloquence of the Declaration of Independence immediately gained the attention of the world and has inspired democratic movements ever since. Getting the word out was a priority.
The 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 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.
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. — 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.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish 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.
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.