A volunteer archivist at Britain's National Archives has unearthed a rare early copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed just days after the original signing in 1776, offering fresh insight into the American Revolution ahead of the US's 250th independence anniversary.
Discovery by a Volunteer
Michael Scurr, a retired insurance executive who has volunteered at the National Archives for 11 years, made the find while cataloging 18th-century Royal Navy correspondence. On a Thursday last May, he was sifting through letters of Captain Thomas Fitzherbert when he found a document attached to a report about the capture of the American privateer Dalton on Christmas Eve 1776. The enclosure, labeled only as “another paper,” featured the word “Declaration” across the top. “I thought, oh, right, OK, this is definitely a Declaration of Independence,” Scurr told the Associated Press. “How exciting is this?”
One of Only 11 Known Copies
Researchers identified the document as an Exeter printing of the Declaration, produced in Exeter, New Hampshire, between July 16 and 19, 1776. It is one of just 11 original copies known to exist and the only one located outside the United States, the National Archives announced on Thursday, ahead of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The document was printed to spread news that the 13 rebellious North American colonies had severed ties with Britain.
Historical Significance
The document’s provenance adds to its importance. It was captured from the Dalton, a privateer operating under the Continental Congress, with orders signed by President John Hancock. Amanda Bevan, head of the National Archives' project cataloging Royal Navy captains' correspondence during the American Revolution, noted that while the public knows about the Continental Army’s hardships, little attention has been paid to American privateers who disrupted British trade. “They know why they’re fighting, but this puts it in a language which makes it greater than them,” Bevan said. “They’re not fighting because they’re aggrieved in particular. They’re fighting for an ideal. And I think that just to find the declaration in a theatre of war where people are committing themselves to fight for their country on the wide ocean is really something special.”
Capture and Crew
The Dalton, an 18-gun privateer, was pursued for seven hours by the 64-gun HMS Raisonnable under Captain Fitzherbert off the coast of Portugal on Christmas Eve 1776. The 120-man crew was imprisoned in Plymouth, England, under harsh conditions. Charles Hebert, a 19-year-old crew member, documented hunger, illness, and punishment in journals during over two years of captivity before his release in a prisoner exchange.
Excitement Among American Historians
Matthew Skic, director of collections and exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, called the discovery exciting. “It’s not just a document, it’s an artifact,” he said. “It’s a tangible connection to the past, because holding that piece of paper in the archivist’s hand today is a way to transport us back to 1776. The baton being passed, in a way.” Skic added that the find proves there is still more to uncover: “Even though 250 years has gone by, we still do not know everything about the American Revolution, and there are still finds left to be discovered.”
