Friday, June 3, 2022

Declaration by Tracy K. Smith

 He has 

 
              sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people
 
He has plundered our
 
                                           ravaged our
 
                                                                         destroyed the lives of our
 
taking away our­

                                  abolishing our most valuable

and altering fundamentally the Forms of our

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.
 
We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration
and settlement here.
 
                                    —taken Captive
                                              
                                                                    on the high Seas
 
                                                                                                     to bear—