THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE—1776 from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compli-ance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses re-peatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. On July 2, 1776, after months of deliberation and while directing battle in the colonies and Canada, the Second Continental Congress voted to declare the “united States of America” separate and independent from Britain. On July 4, the Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson. Declaration of Independence, 17761 IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, Thomas Jefferson's original "Rough Draft of the Declaration" is now in the Jefferson Papers collection at the Library of Congress. According to sources at the Library of Congress, analysis by paper conservators has determined that the paper is mostly likely Dutch in origin. Jefferson's "original Rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence A Declaration of the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Congress assembled. Declaration of Independence Official signed copy of the Declaration of Independence, August 2, 1776; Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives. On July 4, 1776, the United States officially declared its independence from the British Empire when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was authored by a “Committee of Five”—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—with Jefferson as the main drafter. But Jefferson himself later admitted 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. The Declaration of Independence (back) When we removed the Declaration of Independence from the Rotunda in 2001 to prepare it for a new case, we were able to look at the reverse side. No treasure map was found, but there were two lines of text, "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th. July 1776" written along the bottom edge. This docket (identifying label) could be read when the The Truest Copy of the Declaration of Independence In June 1992, Tom Lingenfelter, a dealer in rare historical documents and artifacts in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, found the truest copy of the 1776 handwritten Declaration of Independence at a flea market. This extraordinary discovery was able to tell a more complete story of how this priceless document came to be. The Declaration of Independence reminds us of our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The antiqued parchment paper on which this facsimile is printed has undergone an aging process exclusive to the National Archives, making each document unique. It was proudly made in Philadelphia by a family-owned company. The original Declaration is now exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC. It has faded badly, largely because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century. The document measures 29-3/4 inches by 24-1/2 inches. What's on the Back? People who watched the popular movie "National Treasure" want to know. Declaration of Independence: A Transcription Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and punctuation reflects the original. Nearly every printed or manuscript edition of the Declaration of Independence has slight differences in punctuation, capitalization, and even wording. To find out more about the diverse textual tradition of the Declaration, check out our Which Version is This, and Why Does it Matter? resource. The Constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. Under America’s first national government, the Articles of Confederation, the states acted together only for specific purposes. The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. Without it, the American Experiment might What a great addition to your collection of US History, this replica copy of the US Declaration of Independence. Printed on heavy antiqued parchment paper, this historical document looks and feels just like an original. Measuring 16" tall by 13 3/4" wide, this is the same size as the original Declaration of Independenc High-Resolution Declaration Image (1.43 MB) This image is of the actual Declaration of Independence parchment. These images are in the public domain and no permission is required to use them. Please credit the National Archives as the original source. The Declaration of Independence, True to it's Original Size and Layout - Reprint Printed on Antiqued Parchment. 23 x 29, Ships in Plastic Collector's Tube These three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, have secured the rights of the American people for more than two and a quarter centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. Declaration of Independence Learn More The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for Original engrossed (handwritten) parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Courtesy of National Archives Printing the Declaration was essential for the distribution of its meaning, and potential ramifications, across the Thirteen Colonies.
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