Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
250 years ago today, on July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the 13 Colonies’ split from British rule. Authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the declaration was later signed by 56 members of Congress.
The Henry Ford’s copy of the Declaration of Independence dates to 1823. By 1820, the original document was already deteriorating, and then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams commissioned 200 exact facsimiles. Two copies were given to the each of the surviving signers, the sitting president and vice president, and the rest were distributed to Congress, state governments, and colleges and universities.
In this video, Chief Conservator Mary Fahey discusses her recent work to conserve our copy of the Declaration of Independence.
If you are interested in America’s early beginnings, check out the “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents that Forged a Nation,” coming to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation July 9-26. This traveling exhibition by The National Archives and Records Administration features several founding-era documents, including an even earlier copy of the Declaration of Independence. Access to the exhibition is free to the public, but an advance reservation is required. Visit THF.org/FreedomPlane for updates and more information.
250 years ago today, on July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the 13 Colonies’ split from British rule. Authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the declaration was later signed by 56 members of Congress.
The Henry Ford’s copy of the Declaration of Independence dates to 1823. By 1820, the original document was already deteriorating, and then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams commissioned 200 exact facsimiles. Two copies were given to the each of the surviving signers, the sitting president and vice president, and the rest were distributed to Congress, state governments, and colleges and universities.
In this video, Chief Conservator Mary Fahey discusses her recent work to conserve our copy of the Declaration of Independence.
If you are interested in America’s early beginnings, check out the “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents that Forged a Nation,” coming to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation July 9-26. This traveling exhibition by The National Archives and Records Administration features several founding-era documents, including an even earlier copy of the Declaration of Independence. Access to the exhibition is free to the public, but an advance reservation is required. Visit THF.org/FreedomPlane for updates and more information.
