NYPL Declaration of Independence Journal
Price: $ 22.95
Member Price: $ 20.66
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The Declaration of Independence stands not only as the founding document of the United States of America but also as a powerful, influential endorsement of human rights and self-governance. The inspiration and ethos of the Declaration is rooted in a variety of sources, including Enlightenment philosophy, the English constitution and Magna Carta, and early republicanism. And in the nearly 250 years since its appearance, the Declaration’s stirring, uplifting words have likewise inspired other political thinkers and revolutions across the globe.
The manuscript draft of the Declaration reproduced here, preserved in the Library's collections, is one of several copies handwritten by Thomas Jefferson in the days following July 4, 1776. It includes a rebuke of the slave trade that had been removed by the Second Continental Congress prior to its ratification. In later writings, Jefferson claimed the removal was made to appease Georgia and South Carolina, whose economies were most dependent on slave labor. Jefferson handwrote copies, including this one, underlining the parts that were removed, and sent them to several friends. He considered it important to preserve for posterity his objections to the slave trade, despite being a lifelong slaveholder himself.
The New York Public Library is lucky enough to hold one of these rare, important historic documents in trust, where it has been safely preserved since it arrived at the Library as part of the Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet collection in 1897.
The New York Public Library's collections contain millions of prints, photographs, maps, objects, manuscripts, and posters. Many of the items in our vast archives are accessible online - learn more at digitalcollections.nypl.org.
Product: Lined Page Journal
Pages: Softcover Ultra 176 / Hardcover Grande 128
Material: 100% recycled binder boards / Decorative printed cover paper / FSC-certified writing paper derived from sustainable forest pulp
Dim: Softcover Ultra 7" x 9" / Hardcover Grande 8.25" x 11.75"
