been the patient & if recessity. which constrains thes to expinge their former sfitems of government. King of Great Britain othe the history of to present is a history of unremitting ingueries and A solitary fact usurpations [among which al to contra -dict the uniform toner of the rest fatto which have in direct object the establishment of ar I solute legs any submitted to a candid world for the truth of which we pledge a faith yet censusired by falschool FACSIMILE OF PARTS OF JEFFERSON'S ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. vages, whose known rule of warfare is an undid quite se all ages, sexes, & conditions of existence.] e has incited treasonable insurrections of. our -fellow. qui si allurements of forfeiture & confiscation of our property, he has wag's encet was against human nature itself, violating it. -cred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who nee fended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in ano!! - herni -sphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation pivalical warfare, the opprobrium of infides prowers, is the warjuse of the Christian king of Great Britain, determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold he has prostituted his negative. for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this determining to keep oprema gestel where MEN tied execrable commerce and that this assemí lage of horrors might want no faci of distinguished die, he is now. • exciting those very people to rise in arms , and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, ante you when he also bhrded them; see you گی with crimes off former crimes committed against the liberties of one greopple, which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.] revery stage of these oppressions" we have petitioned for redress in the most humble. terms; our repeated politions have been answered by repeated injuries, a prince whose character is thus marked by every to be the ruler of a "people who. only art which may define a tyrant, is unfit: mean to be free". future ages will scarce believe that the hardiness of one man", ad ventured within the short compass of twelve years to a foundation fo broad Kundisyoused, for tyranny only e over a people fostered & fixed in principle The has, refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the pub -lic good: he has forbidden his governors to passlaws of cirmediate & pressing importance, unlew suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; the he has refused to pass. ther laws for the accomodation of large districts of prople unters those people would relinquish right of representation, involmable to them, & ho medoble to trants only: tother le polation bodies at places unusual, unco! in the legislative right their public recort for the with d, he has refused for a long spar of time to cause thers to be elected," The legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have reta vzed to the people at large for their exercise, the state remaining in the mean lime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without & convulsions within: has endeavored to prevent the population of these states, for that purpose destructing the lans for names Cratern of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage. their migrations hither, & raising the conditions of new ap. promations 18 now. i suffer the ministration of justice totally to A refusing in some hes assent to laurs for establishing gudinary powers. Sourt judge dependant on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, & pay their salanes wanting in attentions to our British brethren, we have warnes them from time to ter -diction over Butter, to by their legislature to extend a juris& these our states we have reminded them of the circumstances of ner, emigration & settlement 'ere no one of urich could warrant so strange a pretension: that these were effected at the expence four oun blard & treasure, unassisted by the wealth or the strength of Great Pontain it at in corvensuting have by theor free election re estruct i her power. This very time loc they er common · permitting their chief magistrate to send over not only soldiers of over blood, b. Scotch & Jonign mercenaries to inde & Distroy us. these fact The last state to agonering affection and mant sprint fidenster- love for her, in preace frien to -mication par de Let have t Apeedom r dignity. be it d to glory de see in the necessity which pronounces motion! ^ our w "Med States of America in Gener Thomas Jefferson THOMAS JEFFERSON was born at Shadwell, Albemarle County, Va., on April 2 (old style), 1743. He was the oldest son of Peter Jefferson, who died in 1757. After attending private schools, he entered William and Mary College in 1760. In 1767 began the practice of the law. In 1769 was chosen to represent his county in the Virginia house of burgesses, a station he continued to fill up to the period of the Revolution. He married Mrs. Martha Skelton in 1772, she being a daughter of John Wayles, an eminent lawyer of Virginia. On March 12, 1773, was chosen a member of the first committee of correspondence established by the Colonial legislature. Was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1775; was placed on the Committee of Five to prepare the Declaration of Independence, and at the request of that committee he drafted the Declaration, which, with slight amendments, was adopted July 4, 1776. Resigned his seat in Congress and occupied one in the Virginia legislature in October, 1776. Was elected governor of Virginia by the legislature on June 1, 1779, to succeed Patrick Henry. Retired to private life at the end of his term as governor, but was the same year elected again to the legislature. Was appointed commissioner with others to negotiate treaties with France in 1776, but declined. In 1782 he was appointed by Congress minister plenipotentiary to act with others in Europe in negotiating a treaty of peace with Great Britain. Was again elected a Delegate to Congress in 1783, and as a member of that body he advocated and had adopted the dollar as the unit and the present system of coins and decimals. In May, 1784, was appointed minister plenipotentiary to Europe to assist John Adams and Benjamin Franklin in negotiating treaties of commerce. In March, 1785, was appointed by Congress minister at the French Court to succeed Dr. Franklin, and remained in France until September, 1789. On his arrival at Norfolk, November 23, 1789, received a letter from Washington offering him the appointment of Secretary of State in his Cabinet. Accepted and became the first Secretary of State under the Constitution. December 31, 1793, resigned his place in the Cabinet and retired to private life at his home. In 1796 was brought forward by his friends as a candidate for President, but Mr. Adams, receiving the highest number of votes, was elected President, and Jefferson became Vice-President for four years from March 4, 1797. In 1800 was again voted for by his party for President. He and Mr. Burr received an equal number of electoral votes, and under the Constitution 319 |