Rare copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives

8 hours ago

A rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence, printed in Exeter, New Hampshire in July 1776, was discovered in The National Archives in Kew, UK, by volunteer Michael Scurr.
It is one of only 11 surviving copies from that printing, seized by the Royal Navy in 1776 from an American ship and hidden for centuries, described as 'an extraordinary discovery.'
The document was restored and will be displayed in an exhibition on American independence; it is the only known copy taken by military action.

Hasty Briefsbeta