Lost copy of US Declaration of Independence found after nearly 250 years

A lost copy of the US Declaration of Independence has been found in British government archives almost 250 years after it was captured by the Royal Navy as a war trophy, the Financial Times reported on the eve of July 4.

It is noted that the document is only the eleventh known surviving copy of the particular edition printed in the city of Exeter, New Hampshire. The printers produced this batch between July 16 and 19, 1776.

The publication reports that the historic document was discovered in May by volunteer archivist at the National Archives of Britain, Michael Scur. The find was made at a time when the archive is accelerating the work of cataloguing documents related to the American Revolutionary War.

The well-preserved sheet contains the famous passage proclaiming the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Experts stress that the text remains perfectly legible.

According to the Financial Times, the document’s journey to London began after intelligence material was intercepted during a naval battle. On December 24, 1776, the Royal Navy ship Raisonable captured the American privateer Dalton off Cape Finisterre in northwestern Spain.

In early November, the Dalton set sail from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Historical records show that Captain Eleazer Johnson purchased a copy of the Declaration there before setting sail.

Records also show that this was the first American privateer captured in European waters during the conflict.

According to archival documents, the captain of the Raisonable, Thomas Fitzherbert, sent the captured papers to the Admiralty in London. Amanda Bevan, head of the legal records department at the National Archives, believes that Fitzherbert passed them on as operational naval intelligence. The Declaration was attached to a set of rules of engagement for the U.S. Navy.

Archivists have also discovered the order authorizing the Dalton to conduct combat operations. The document was signed by then-President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock.

Why the Declaration Went Unnoticed for So Long

The publication explains that the document went unnoticed for centuries because it was attached to Thomas Fitzherbert’s personal correspondence, rather than being entered into the standard Admiralty records.

The Admiralty’s detailed records documenting Dalton’s capture give this copy a more well-traced provenance than most other surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence.

Illustrative photo: pexels-rdne-7841808