每年7月4日是美國的獨立日，1776年7月4日，大陸會議在費(fèi)城正式通過托馬斯·杰佛遜起草的《獨立宣言》。以下為美國獨立宣言的全文內(nèi)容：

　　The Declaration of Independence

　　IN CONGRESS, JULY 4,

　　1776 THE UNANIMOUS

　　DECLARATION OF THE

　　THIRTEEN UNITED

　　STATES OF AMERAICA

　　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 Nature and 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.

　　在人類事務(wù)發(fā)展的過程中，當(dāng)一個民族必須解除同另一個民族的聯(lián)系，并按照自然法則和上帝的旨意，以獨立平等的身份立于世界列國之林時，出于對人類輿論的尊重，必須把驅(qū)使他們獨立的原因予以宣布。

　　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 they are among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among them, deriving their just power 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 shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than t 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 usurpations, all having in direct object tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

　　我們認(rèn)為下述真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，造物主賦予他們?nèi)舾刹豢勺屌c的權(quán)利，其中包括生存權(quán)、自由權(quán)和追求幸福的權(quán)利。為了保障這些權(quán)利，人們才在他們中間建立政府，而政府的正當(dāng)權(quán)利，則是經(jīng)被統(tǒng)治者同意授予的。任何形式的政府一旦對這些目標(biāo)的實現(xiàn)起破壞作用時，人民便有權(quán)予以更換或廢除，以建立一個新的政府。新政府所依據(jù)的原則和組織其權(quán)利的方式，務(wù)使人民認(rèn)為唯有這樣才最有可能使他們獲得安全和幸福。若真要審慎的來說，成立多年的政府是不應(yīng)當(dāng)由于無關(guān)緊要的和一時的原因而予以更換的。過去的一切經(jīng)驗都說明，任何苦難，只要尚能忍受，人類還是情愿忍受，也不想為申冤而廢除他們久已習(xí)慣了的政府形式。然而，當(dāng)始終追求同一目標(biāo)的一系列濫用職權(quán)和強(qiáng)取豪奪的行為表明政府企圖把人民至于****暴政之下時，人民就有權(quán)也有義務(wù)去****這樣的政府，并為其未來的安全提供新的保障。這就是這些殖民地過去忍受苦難的經(jīng)過，也是他們現(xiàn)在不得不改變政府制度的原因。當(dāng)今大不列顛王國的歷史，就是屢屢傷害和掠奪這些殖民地的歷史，其直接目標(biāo)就是要在各州之上建立一個獨裁暴政。為了證明上述句句屬實，現(xiàn)將事實公諸于世，讓公正的世人作出評判。