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A second parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence, called the Sussex Declaration, was found in the West Sussex Record Office in England in 2015. It is a ceremonial document, probably made in New York City or Philadelphia, and is in better condition than the original.
The original handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, signed by representatives of the original 13 colonies in 1776, is held in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Until 2015, it was thought to be the only such document to survive, until American researchers stumbled upon a rare second parchment copy, called the Sussex Declaration, in the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester, England. The second copy was produced on a full sheet of parchment, measures approximately 24cm by 30cm and probably dates from 61.
“When in the course of human events…”
Parchment was used for formal legal documents in the 18th century and the large size of the Sussex Declaration identifies it as a ceremonial document. Therefore, the newly discovered document is far more rare and distinctive than the many broadsides produced to help spread the news that the colonies were declaring independence from Great Britain.
Probably made in New York City or Philadelphia, the document may have belonged to the Duke of Richmond, known as the “Radical Duke” for his support of the American Revolution.
Unlike the National Archives copy, the Sussex Declaration’s signatures are in a different order and are not grouped by state. The recent find is also in much better condition than the original, which is badly faded and in places nearly illegible.
