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Declaration of Independence: Documents
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When pondering the Declaration of Independence, many readers get as far as "When in the course of human events..." before their eyes glaze over. But when author-illustrator Sam Fink took the time to read the document, he was so impressed, he decided to do what he could to make it more accessible to everyone. By dividing the text into short phrases, hand lettering the words on one page, and illustrating the ideas expressed on the facing page, Fink succeeded marvelously in his goal. His scratchy, historically accurate illustrations are compelling (and often witty) in their representation of the Declaration's significance. In one spread, the text reads "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States."
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What is worse yet is that fake portraits of at least four of the signers of the Declaration of Independence can be found within the sacred portals of the room where the immortal document was adopted. On the walls hang likenesses which are supposedly of John Hart and of George Taylor, neither of which have the slightest pretense of authenticity as portraits of those worthies, while others of William Whipple and Benjamin Harrison have been there a longer time but without any better pedigree. The facts evidencing the faking of the Whipple portrait in particular are clear. The catalogue of works of art in Independence Hall states that the portrait of William Whipple is after St.Memin. Whipple died in 1785, and St.Memin was not born until 1770 and did not come to America until 1793. Research among the engraved portraits by St.Memin discloses the fact that the alleged picture of William Whipple in Independence Hall is in fact a portrait of a Joseph Wipple (note the spelling) which was drawn and engraved by St.Memin in 1805.
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In 1952, the librarian of Congress and the US archivist agreed on moving the Declaration and the Constitution to the National Archives. Since 1953 the three documents have been called the Charters of Freedom. Encased in 1951, by the early 1980s deterioration threatened the documents. In 2001, using the latest in preservation technology, conservators treated the documents and re-encased them in encasements made of titanium and aluminum, filled with inert Argon gas. They were put on display again with the opening of the remodeled National Archives Rotunda in 2003.
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The Declaration of Independence can be divided into four main parts. The first part is an introduction that states the purpose of the document, which was to explain why the American people were declaring independence from the government of Great Britain.
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The original Declaration is now exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC. It has faded badly, largely because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century. The document measures 29-3/4 inches by 24-1/2 inches. See picture.
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The United States Declaration of Independence is an important document in the history of the United States of America. It was written in 1776 and says that the United States of America are no longer colonies of Great Britain.
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