Overview
- The British National Archives confirmed on Friday that staff identified a 1776 printed copy of the U.S. Declaration of Independence as an Exeter broadside found within its holdings.
- Archivists say the copy is one of roughly 11 known Exeter broadsides and is the first of that type recorded outside the United States, making it especially rare for researchers.
- The Archives date the sheet to a July 16–19, 1776 printing in Exeter, New Hampshire intended for public circulation rather than long‑term preservation.
- Contemporary records link the broadside to the December 24, 1776 seizure of the American ship Dalton by the Royal Navy, which explains how the printed copy entered British custody.
- The item was spotted by an unpaid volunteer while preparing displays for the US250 anniversary and the Archives say it will be prepared for exhibition and further scholarly study with attention to its wartime provenance.