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Book/Printed Material Engrossed Declaration of Independence.

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About this Item

Title

  • Engrossed Declaration of Independence.

Summary

  • On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, in which the American colonies set forth a list of grievances against the British Crown and declared that they were breaking from British rule to form free and independent states. On July 19, 1776, Congress resolved that the Declaration passed on the 4th be "fairly engrossed on parchment with the title and stile [sic]: 'The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America'...and that the same, when engrossed, be signed by every member of Congress." The engrossing was most likely done by Timothy Matlack, an assistant to Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Congress. Although it bears the date "July 4, 1776," the engrossed Declaration was signed on August 2, 1776, by members of the Continental Congress who were present that day and later, by other members of Congress. A total of 56 delegates eventually signed the document.

Names

  • Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 Author.
  • Second Continental Congress, United States Creator.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1776-08-02.

Headings

  • -  United States of America--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
  • -  1776
  • -  Autonomy
  • -  Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829
  • -  Politics and government
  • -  United States -- Declaration of Independence

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 manuscript (1 parchment page, front and back).
  • -  Original resource at: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667571

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Jefferson, Thomas, Author, and United States Creator Second Continental Congress. Engrossed Declaration of Independence. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -08-02, 1776] Pdf. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2021667571/.

APA citation style:

Jefferson, T. & Second Continental Congress, U. S. C. (1776) Engrossed Declaration of Independence. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -08-02] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2021667571/.

MLA citation style:

Jefferson, Thomas, Author, and United States Creator Second Continental Congress. Engrossed Declaration of Independence. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -08-02, 1776] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/2021667571/>.