Declaration of Independence

                                        Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

 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.

独立宣言

                                                                                  美国第三届总统托马斯·杰斐逊（1776）

       我们认为以下的真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，造物主赋予每个人一些不可剥夺的权力，包括生命、自由和追求幸福的权力。政府的成立乃是为了保障这些权利，政权则由人民授权而来。对于无法保障这些权力的政府，人民有权改变或废除，进而建立新政府，并采取此原则为基础，以此方式组织权力，因为这是最有可能实现安全与幸福的方法。