January 15, 2020
Pages 4976
Whole Number 181
THE 1776 OATH REQUIRED OF WHITE MALE CITIZENS
IN PENNSYLVANIA
"We, the subscribers, do swear (or affirm), that we renounce and refuse all allegiance to George the Third, King of Great Britain, his heirs and successors, and that we will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as a free and independent State, and that we will not, at any time, do, or cause to be done, any matter that will be prejudicial or injurious to the freedom and independence thereof, as declared by Congress, and, also, that we will discover, and make known to some justice of the peace of the said State, all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which we now know, or hereafter shall know, to be formed against this or any of the United States of America."
Any adult white male citizen of Pennsylvania, refusing to sign this statement of allegiance following the adoption of the state's constitution on July 15, 1776, would be considered a Loyalist (or Tory) and was subject to the confiscation of his land.