Independence Day

American Girl Spirit

 Happy 4th of July! 

Today marks the 239th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence for the United States of America. You can see the original copy of the Declaration on display at the National Archives in Washington DC.
 Did you know there is more than one copy of the declaration of Independence? The copies were printed at a shop owned by John Dunlop, the copies are known as the "Dunlop broadsides". These copies were sent to the colonials to be read aloud to the people who could not read. Only 26 Dunlop broadsides are known to have survived, even though hundreds were printed. Two were found in the last 26 years. One was found in 1989 by a  Philadelphia man, it was hidden in a frame that he purchased for $4 at a flea market. Another was found in a box of papers at the British National Archives in 2009.
A copy of the Declaration of Independence reached New York City July 9th, 1776. George Washington read aloud the Dunlop broadside in front of city hall. The words were so inspiring that the people listening started a riot, and later that day they tore down a statue of George III.