4 July 2026

Today we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776, 250 years ago.

We often hear a sentence or two from the Declaration but it’s worth a look today to see how well it holds up. I have transcribed the beginning below. NOTE: I added 1 paragraph break for readability.

Beginning of the United States Declaration of Independence (first 288 words)

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

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.

Following this, the signers provided a list of grievances (29 paragraphs) documenting King George III’s “repeated injuries and usurpations” of the Americans’ rights and liberties. What were they? Here are nine of them, paragraphs 12 through 20 quoted below.

United States Declaration of Independence list of grievances, paragraphs 12 through 20.

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:

Read the full transcript of the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives.

I usually write about Birds & Nature. A natural event is in the photo at the top. On 10 June 2021 an annular solar eclipse was visible from parts of Russia, Greenland, and northern Canada. Those in Northern Asia, Europe, and the United States saw a partial eclipse. This is what it looked like near the Statue of Liberty. Photo by Anthony Quintano posted on Wikimedia Commons.