On July 4, 1776, after days of intense deliberation and debate, the Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence. The document, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, eloquently articulated the colonies’ desire for freedom and self-governance. The Declaration of Independence was signed here in 1776, and the U.S. Constitution was written here in 1787. A National Historic Landmark, Independence Hall is recognized globally for its impact on the pursuit of freedom and democracy. Together, the three parchments from Philadelphia (the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution) made an indelible imprint on the course of history. Residents and visitors can see original printed copies of all three in the Great Essentials exhibit at Independence Hall. The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official world's fair to be held in the United States and coincided with the centennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence 's adoption in Philadelphia on Just two blocks from Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Museum of the American Revolution draws inspiration from the document voted upon and signed in that building in the summer of 1776. Visitors approaching the main entrance of the museum will see a portion of the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence engraved not on paper, but on stone, on the side of the building. The The Declaration of Independence was usually but not always front page news, and very rarely fit entirely on a single page. These newspaper versions are occasionally displayed, but often kept in newspaper collections. Newspaper versions of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 include: Originally built in 1775, the red-brick house known as the Declaration (Graff) House at Seventh and Market streets was reconstructed in 1975. In June 1776, Jefferson traveled from Virginia to Philadelphia to attend the second Continental Congress and joined in the call for the colonies to breakaway from Great Britain. The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell today is located across the street from Independence Hall in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. The The restored Assembly Room. NPS photo In an enormous undertaking, teams of historians, architects, archeologists, carpenters, and painters combined their efforts to try and return the room where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were debated and signed to its historic appearance. The restoration of this iconic room was the most complex project undertaken by the National A collector believes he has a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence made through a 19th-century printing process that damaged the original. Independence Hall, Pennsylvania Independence Hall started as a simple meeting spot but ended up as the birthplace of both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. George Washington, Ben Franklin, and John Adams walked these floors and shaped a nation. Here’s how this humble room helped America became America. The park represents the founding ideals of the nation, and preserves national and international symbols of freedom and democracy, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were both debated and signed inside Independence Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The document, found earlier this year in an attic in Scotland, is expected to be displayed this fall at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the announcement said. Historical treasures will be displayed from July 3 to July 6; extended hours available From Thursday, July 3, through Sunday, July 6, 2025, to celebrate Independence Day, the National Archives will display several historic documents related to the Declaration of Independence, including Richard Henry Lee’s June 7, 1776, resolution calling for independence and a July 5, 1776, original Dunlap For 241 years, it was never seen publicly, until now in Philadelphia. Holly Kinyon, a descendent of John Witherspoon, recently purchased a first printing of the Declaration of Independence and has loaned it to the Museum of the American Revolution. (Emma Lee/WHYY) Jefferson drafts A Summary View of the Rights of British America, intended as guidance to Virginia's delegates to the first Continental Congress and advancing the principles of equality and self-government more fully realized in the Declaration of Independence. Although Jefferson did not intend his Summary View to be printed, his friends had his document published in pamphlet form and its In the late 1800s it was kept in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Trenton, Annapolis, and New York. The document was moved along with the federal government to the City of Washington in 1800, where it was kept until it was hidden from the British in Leesburg, Virginia, in 1814. PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Just in time for Independence Day, a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence is now on display in Philadelphia. It's one of the first printed versions of the declaration The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress, who convened at Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in the colonial capital of Philadelphia. These delegates With July 4 quickly approaching, a truly one-of-a-kind artifact is now on display: one of the first printed versions of the Declaration of Independence, a broadside printed on parchment by Philadelphian John Dunlap in July 1776.
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