American Revolution Documents PDF

The American Revolution - Documents Doc.1 - Declaration of the House of Burgesses of Virginia The taxation of the people by themselves, or by persons chosen by themselves to represent them, who can only know what taxes the people are able to bear, [...] is the only security against a burdensome tax...

The American Revolution - Documents Doc.1 - Declaration of the House of Burgesses of Virginia The taxation of the people by themselves, or by persons chosen by themselves to represent them, who can only know what taxes the people are able to bear, [...] is the only security against a burdensome taxation, and the distinguishing characteristic of British freedom, without which the ancient constitution(1) cannot exist. [...] The General Assembly of this Colony have the only and exclusive Right and Power to lay Taxes and Impositions upon the inhabitants of this Colony and that every Attempt to vest such Power in any person or persons whatsoever other than the General Assembly aforesaid has a manifest Tendency to destroy British as well as American Freedom. The Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions — 1765 - online, [http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/vsa65.html] (1) Bill of rights - 1689: _________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Doc. 2 “An Emblem of the Effects of the STAMP,” a warning against the Stamp Act published in … Rare Books and Manuscripts Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations Hist 5-6 imm - American Revolution - Documents - p. 1 Doc. 3 Be it declared that the said colonies and plantations in America have been, are, and of right ought to be, subordinate unto, and dependent upon the imperial crown and parliament of Great Britain; [...] the King's majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons of Great Britain, in parliament assembled, had, have, and of right ought to have, full power and authority to make laws [...] to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the crown of Great Britain [...]. All resolutions, votes, orders, and proceedings, in any of the said colonies or plantations, whereby the power and authority of the parliament of Great Britain, to make laws and statutes as aforesaid, is denied, or drawn into question, are, and are hereby declared to be, utterly null and void to all in purposes whatsoever. The Declaratory Act, London, March 18, 1766, online, [http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/declaratory_act_1766.asp] Doc. 4 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 Hist 5-6 imm - American Revolution - Documents - p. 2 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. [Thus] when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce [people] under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government. [...] 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. [...] 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.[...] 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 [...]. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, In Congress, JULY 4, 1776, online, [http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/] Doc. 5 Evolution of the flag of the United States 1775 1777 today Hist 5-6 imm - American Revolution - Documents - p. 3 Doc. 6 Article I (Article 1 - Legislative) Section 1 All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Section 2 The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States [...] No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. Representatives [...] shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers [...] including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed [...]. The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker (president) [...] and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. Section 3 The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen for six Years [...]. No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States [...]. The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside. [...] Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall [...] proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. [...] Section 8 The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes [...] to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States [...], to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations [...], to coin money, [...] to declare war [...]. Hist 5-6 imm - American Revolution - Documents - p. 4 Article II (Article 2 - Executive) Section 1 The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows Each State shall appoint [...] a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress [...]. In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the VicePresident. [...] Section 2 The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States [...]. He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States [...]. Section 4 The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Article III (Article 3 - Judicial) Section 1 The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court [...]. The Judges [...] of the supreme [...] Court, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour [...]. done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names, George Washington, President and deputy from VirginiaWilliam Jackson, Secretar Hist 5-6 imm - American Revolution - Documents - p. 5