UK Finding Copy of US Declaration of Independence ‘Astonishing’—Historian
Summary
A volunteer at the British National Archives found a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, just after the U.S. declared independence in 1776. This copy is one of the few surviving early prints and connects British and American history ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary.Key Facts
- The document was found by Michael Scurr, a volunteer cataloging letters at the British National Archives.
- It is an Exeter broadside of the Declaration of Independence printed between July 16-19, 1776.
- Only 10 other copies of this Exeter printing were known before this discovery.
- The copy was taken from the papers of the American ship Dalton, which was captured by the British in December 1776.
- The Exeter broadsides were printed on rag-made paper, made from cloth fibers, not high-quality paper.
- These broadsides were intended for local people in New Hampshire and not made to last a long time.
- Most early copies that ended up in British archives were captured by British officers during the American Revolutionary War.
- The only signed original Declaration is kept in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
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