Rare US Declaration of Independence copy found in UK archives

A volunteer archivist at the British National Archives has made an "extraordinary discovery": a rare copy of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The document, one of only 11 surviving copies from an initial print run in Exeter, New Hampshire, in July 1776, was seized by British forces.

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I think you have to come and see this.

Michael Scurr, the archivist, described the moment he realized the significance of the find, admitting to having "butterflies in his stomach." He was cataloging documents related to the British Royal Navy's involvement in the American Revolutionary War when he unfolded the paper. "I called my supervisor and said, 'I think you need to come and see this,'" he told the BBC.

Saul Nassé, chief executive of the National Archives, hailed the find as remarkable, especially given its discovery in the United Kingdom rather than the United States. The document was captured by the HMS Raisonable on December 24, 1776, after a seven-hour chase of an American ship off the coast of Portugal.

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It is an extremely rare copy of the Declaration of Independence; it was not found in the United States, but here, in the United Kingdom.

Graham Moore, an expert at Kew, highlighted the document's unique provenance, stating it is "one of the most unusual versions of the Declaration that we know." He explained that the intention was to distribute the Declaration widely, making this copy, obtained through military action, particularly significant. The document has undergone conservation to stabilize the paper and repair a small tear, preparing it for future study and exhibition.

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This discovery represents one of the most unusual versions of the Declaration that we know.