1762

Four

United Middle Colonies

We the people of the British Middle Colonies of America have found it necessary that the union between the British Empire and the American colonies of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, be broken, for the sanctity of justice, freedom, and self-governance. Therefore, based on a combined and rational decision of the governing bodies of the Middle Colonies, with the general consensus of the subjects of these colonies, we, the representatives of the Middle Colonies, declare independence from England and her Empire.

The need for this declaration of sovereignty has arisen from a list of wrongdoings done onto the fair colonists by the British Royalty and Parliament and thus, in greater extent, King George iii. These wrongdoings consist of the Navigation Acts, which are a violation of the sovereignty and representative decision-making, in this case economic decisions, that our dear colonies were founded upon, by the Kings proprietors, with his full permission. In addition, our economy is no longer under management by ourselves for ourselves as our British mandated customs officers are subject to the iron fist of the English Treasury. Politically, the presence of the Privy Council and the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations harass the democratic principles upon which we were founded by our liberal forefathers who sought justice in there proprietary charters. Again, the Crown and Parliament has proven unable to govern these colonies as proven by the disputes over New Jersey, in regard to the governing dispute of Carteret and Berkeley. Furthermore, the British rule of our colonies restricts lawmaking to those of true British descent in England, when a large portion of the populace is from an immigrant population, naming a few as the Pennsylvania Dutch, Scotch-Irish, Swiss, French, and Swedish. These immigrants make up a third of total inhabitants in our region yet have no say in English affairs nor have they ever been a part of Englands government. Thus, for a fair representation of all peoples in the United Middle Colonies of America, it is our truest reasoning that both peoples of British descent and that of foreign nations who call the Middle Colonies their home, govern themselves by our values, which we have been enlightened by our creator to demand for. Thus, by the will of God, by the visions of self-governance of our forefathers, by the foundations of our colonies and their subjects, by the strength of our people and their desire for self-betterment, in an endeavor for a government that represents the people, we the United Middle Colonies of America declare absolute independence from England and her Empire.

Maura Boston Emily Goodman Ted Hages Ryan Zalla