Home / War and Conflict / Rare US Declaration Found in UK Archives
Rare US Declaration Found in UK Archives
3 Jul
Summary
- A rare surviving copy of the Declaration of Independence was found.
- The document was discovered by a volunteer at The National Archives.
- This copy was printed in Exeter, New Hampshire in July 1776.
A historically significant discovery has been made at The National Archives in Kew, United Kingdom, with the uncovering of a rare surviving copy of the Declaration of Independence. This document, one of only eleven printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, in July 1776, is the sole known example of its kind located outside the United States.
The precious find was made in February by a volunteer who was cataloguing the papers of Royal Navy captains from the American Revolutionary War. The copy was seized by the Royal Navy on Christmas Eve 1776 when the HMS Raisonable captured an American ship, the Dalton, off the coast of Portugal. It was found folded among the letters of Captain Thomas Fitzherbert.
This particular copy was not intended for preservation, as its purpose was rapid distribution throughout the colonies to announce American independence. After undergoing conservation works to stabilize its paper and repair a slight tear, the document will be displayed as part of The National Archives' exhibition, Revolution 250: America's Independence Story, 1763-1783.
