Rare 1776 Declaration of Independence Discovered by National Archives in UK–One of Only 11 Known to Survive
Michael Scurr has been volunteering at Britain’s National Archives for the last 11 years, spending his Thursday mornings painstakingly cataloging documents for the benefit of future researchers.
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National story. 29 articles from 26 sources. 25 are on the bar; 1 is an international, entertainment or tech outlet, listed separately. Updated Jul 5, 2026.
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4 sourcesRare copy of Declaration of Independence found by UK National Archives in papers of captured U.S. privateer ship
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12 sourcesRare 1776 Declaration of Independence Discovered by National Archives in UK–One of Only 11 Known to Survive
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9 sourcesAn original copy of The Declaration of Independence found by UK archivists in the artifacts of a captured 18th-century American ship
July 1776 Copy of Declaration of Independence Discovered Outside US in Foreign Navy Captain's Papers
Previously Unidentified Original Declaration of Independence Discovered in UK Royal Navy Archives
5 questions about the newly discovered early printed copy of the Declaration of Independence
'Vanishingly rare' copy of U.S. Declaration of Independence unearthed in UK archives
Other outlets
International, entertainment and tech outlets, by their rating. Not counted in the bar above. How we count coverage
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1 article‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives
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The story so far
2 developments- Jul 2Rare copy of Declaration of Independence found by UK National Archives in papers of captured US ship
- Jul 4Only right-leaning coverage:Previously Unidentified Original Declaration of Independence Discovered in UK Royal Navy Archives
Who covered each development
No new developments
Quiet for 105 daysLast development · Jul 4 — Previously Unidentified Original Declaration of Independence Discovered in UK Royal Navy Archives