‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives
Summary
A volunteer at the UK National Archives found a rare 18th-century copy of the US Declaration of Independence in British naval records. This copy was printed shortly after the original declaration and was saved from a ship captured off Spain in 1776, making it the only known copy outside the US.Key Facts
- The document is an Exeter printing of the US Declaration of Independence, made between July 16-19, 1776.
- Only 11 copies of this Exeter printing still exist, and this is the only one found outside the US.
- The paper was discovered by Michael Scurr while cataloguing Royal Navy documents at the National Archives in Kew, London.
- The copy came from the American privateer ship Dalton, captured by the British near Spain in December 1776.
- The Dalton was the first American privateer captured in European waters.
- The ship’s captain, Eleazer Johnson, was an American who declared his US citizenship after capture.
- Johnson likely obtained the declaration copy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and may have read it to the crew.
- The discovery shows how news of American independence spread during that time.
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