“An extraordinary discovery”: a rare copy of the 1776 American Declaration of Independence found in British archives

A rare copy of the 1776 American Declaration of Independence, which marked the founding of the United States, was recently discovered in the British National Archives, the institution announced Friday. The precious copy, printed the same year as the Declaration of Independence, was among documents seized by the British navy during the capture of the American ship Dalton on December 24 of that year.

The Declaration of Independence is the fundamental political text by which thirteen British colonies asserted their sovereignty over the United Kingdom on July 4, 1776.

Skip the ad

Archives staff found this copy by chance while carrying out a project to catalog documents belonging to Royal Navy captains during the American Revolutionary War, in advance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. “It’s an extraordinary discovery”underlines Saul Nassé, director general of the British National Archives, quoted in a press release, insisting on the “extreme rarity” of the document.

It “was not intended to be preserved”

This copy is part of a batch printed in Exeter, New Hampshire between July 16 and 19, 1776, with the aim of spreading information of the independence of the United States in the British colonies and rallying support for the revolutionary cause, underlines the press release. It is one of eleven copies of this lot known in the world, and the only one outside the United States.

Elle “was not intended to be preserved: it was quickly printed and widely distributed” at the time, explains Graham Moore, curator of the exhibition dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the United States at the British National Archives. “For the men aboard the Dalton, this document stated the objective and motives of their fight. The fact that it was considered important enough to be transported across the ocean in times of war speaks volumes about its significance and significance.insiste Graham Moore.

Once authenticated by experts, the document underwent a meticulous conservation process to stabilize the paper, repair a small tear, and prepare it for safe study by researchers and then display to the public. The Archives hope to be able to integrate their find into the current exhibition dedicated to American independence, which is on view until November at their site in Kew (south-west London).