Rare Copy of Declaration of Independence Found… in Britain

Talk about finding something in the last place you’d think to look.

A volunteer working at Britain’s National Archives has uncovered an extraordinarily rare 1776 printing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, tucked away among paperwork from a captured American ship during the Revolutionary War. Historians say it’s one of only 11 known surviving copies of this particular printing—and the first ever discovered outside the United States.

The document, known as an “Exeter Declaration,” was printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, just days after Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. At the time, printers rushed to produce copies so the news of American independence could spread quickly throughout the colonies.

So how did one end up in London?

According to historians, the document was aboard the American privateer Dalton, a ship commissioned by the Continental Congress to attack British vessels. On Christmas Eve 1776, the Royal Navy chased down and captured the ship off the coast of Portugal, confiscating everything on board—including the Declaration. Thanks to Britain’s meticulous military paperwork, the document was cataloged, filed away, and then essentially forgotten for nearly 250 years.

Ironically, it wasn’t hidden in a secret vault or buried in a dusty attic. It had simply been mislabeled in an old file as “another paper.” It remained there until volunteer archivist Michael Scurr unfolded it during a cataloging project and immediately recognized the famous word “Declaration” across the top.

Researchers believe the ship’s captain likely carried the document to inspire his crew by reminding them exactly what they were fighting for. That makes this copy historically unique—not only is it one of the rarest surviving printings, but it’s also the only known copy captured by the British during military action.

The discovery comes just as the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence, providing historians with another remarkable connection to the nation’s founding.

It also answers a question nobody thought to ask:

Apparently Britain really did hang onto America’s breakup letter a little longer than expected.