A rare handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence has gone on display at the main branch of the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan, offering what curators describe as an unusual window into the founding of the country. It is one of only four fair copies of the document penned by Thomas Jefferson after July 4, 1776, and it is not the version most Americans read about in their history books.
The document is normally preserved in the library's vaults, and it is extremely fragile, prone to fading when exposed to light. For that reason, visitors view the copy in a deliberately dim room, a measure meant to shield the manuscript from further damage while it is on show to the public.
The story behind the text stretches back to June 1776, when Jefferson began writing at his home in Philadelphia. After only a few weeks, he shared a draft with five delegates who tinkered with the wording before presenting it to the Second Continental Congress. It was there, during the debates among the delegates, that the real negotiations over the final wording unfolded.
What makes this particular copy so unusual is its timing and its content. After the Declaration was ratified on July 4, 1776, Jefferson sat down and wrote out his own version, restoring everything he strongly believed should have been included. Visitors are told they are looking at the final version of Jefferson's original text, in his own hand.
One underlined passage in particular stands out. In it, Jefferson condemns the slave trade, placing the blame on England and King George. Delegates from Georgia and South Carolina insisted that the section be removed from the official document, and it was. According to those presenting the exhibit, Jefferson saw the founding of the United States as the beginning of the end of that injustice, and wanted to push for it.
Public interest has been strong. So far, some 11,000 people have secured tickets to see the copy, and the exhibit runs through July 7. For those unable to get inside, the library plans to project the document onto the outside of the building, allowing far more people to catch a glimpse of one of the most significant pieces of American history.