National Issues
US: 9 Things You May Not Know About the Declaration of Independence | By ELIZABETH HARRISON
As people across the United States celebrate the nation’s birthday, explore nine surprising facts about the founding document adopted on July 4, 1776.
1. The Declaration of Independence wasn’t signed on July 4, 1776.
On July 1, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, and on the following day 12 of the 13 colonies voted in favor of Richard Henry Lee’s motion for independence. The delegates then spent the next two days debating and revising the language of a statement drafted by Thomas Jefferson. On July 4, Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence, and as a result the date is celebrated as Independence Day. Nearly a month would go by, however, before the actual signing of the document took place. First, New York’s delegates didn’t officially give their support until July 9 because their home assembly hadn’t yet authorized them to vote in favor of independence. Next, it took two weeks for the Declaration to be “engrossed”—written on parchment in a clear hand. Most of the delegates signed on August 2, but several—Elbridge Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis Morris, Thomas McKean and Matthew Thornton—signed on a later date. (Two others, John Dickinson and Robert R. Livingston, never signed at all.) The signed parchment copy now resides at the National Archives in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, alongside the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
2. More than one copy exists.
After the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the “Committee of Five”—Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston—was charged with overseeing the reproduction of the approved text. This was completed at the shop of Philadelphia printer John Dunlap. On July 5, Dunlap’s copies were dispatched across the 13 colonies to newspapers, local officials and the commanders of the Continental troops. These rare documents, known as “Dunlap broadsides,” predate the engrossed version signed by the delegates. Of the hundreds thought to have been printed on the night of July 4, only 26 copies survive. Most are held in museum and library collections, but three are privately owned.
3. When news of the Declaration of Independence reached New York City, it started a riot.
By July 9, 1776, a copy of the Declaration of Independence had reached New York City. With hundreds of British naval ships occupying New York Harbor, revolutionary spirit and military tensions were running high. George Washington, commander of the Continental forces in New York, read the document aloud in front of City Hall. A raucous crowd cheered the inspiring words, and later that day tore down a nearby statue of George III. The statue was subsequently melted down and shaped into more than 42,000 musket balls for the fledgling American army.
4. Eight of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were born in Britain.
While the majority of the members of the Second Continental Congress were native-born Americans, eight of the men voting for independence from Britain were born there. Button Gwinnett and Robert Morris were born in England, Francis Lewis was born in Wales, James Wilson and John Witherspoon were born in Scotland, George Taylor and Matthew Thornton were born in Ireland and James Smith hailed from Northern Ireland.
5. One signer later recanted.
Richard Stockton, a lawyer from Princeton, New Jersey, became the only signer of the Declaration of Independence to recant his support of the revolution. On November 30, 1776, the hapless delegate was captured by the British and thrown in jail. After months of harsh treatment and meager rations, Stockton repudiated his signature on the Declaration of Independence and swore his allegiance to King George III. A broken man when he regained his freedom, he took a new oath of loyalty to the state of New Jersey in December 1777.
6. There was a 44-year age difference between the youngest and oldest signers.
The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, 70 years old when he scrawled his name on the parchment. The youngest was Edward Rutledge, a lawyer from South Carolina who was only 26 at the time. Rutledge narrowly beat out fellow South Carolinian Thomas Lynch Jr., just four months his senior, for the title.
7. Two additional copies have been found in the last 25 years.
In 1989, a Philadelphia man found an original Dunlap Broadside hidden in the back of a picture frame he bought at a flea market for $4. One of the few surviving copies from the official first printing of the Declaration, it was in excellent condition and sold for $8.1 million in 2000. A 26th known Dunlap broadside emerged at the British National Archives in 2009, hidden for centuries in a box of papers captured from American colonists during the Revolutionary War. One of three Dunlap broadsides at the National Archives, the copy remains there to this day.
8. The Declaration of Independence spent World War II in Fort Knox.
On December 23, 1941, just over two weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the signed Declaration, together with the Constitution, was removed from public display and prepared for evacuation out of Washington, D.C. Under the supervision of armed guards, the founding document was packed in a specially designed container, latched with padlocks, sealed with lead and placed in a larger box. All told, 150 pounds of protective gear surrounded the parchment. On December 26 and 27, accompanied by Secret Service agents, it traveled by train to Louisville, Kentucky, where a cavalry troop of the 13th Armored Division escorted it to Fort Knox. The Declaration was returned to Washington, D.C., in 1944.
9. There is something written on the back of the Declaration of Independence.
In the movie “National Treasure,” Nicholas Cage’s character claims that the back of the Declaration contains a treasure map with encrypted instructions from the founding fathers, written in invisible ink. Unfortunately, this is not the case. There is, however, a simpler message, written upside-down across the bottom of the signed document: “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776.” No one knows who exactly wrote this or when, but during the Revolutionary War years the parchment was frequently rolled up for transport. It’s thought that the text was added as a label.
Amid rising killings and a wave of mass abductions by gunmen and suspected terrorists across the country, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency.
The President, in a statement personally signed and released in Abuja, also ordered an immediate expansion of the manpower of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Government rushes to halt the worsening insecurity.
“Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces,” Tinubu said.
“By this declaration, the police and the army are authorised to recruit more personnel. The police will recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000.”
Tinubu explained that he had already approved upgrades of police training facilities nationwide and authorised the use of selected National Youth Service Corps camps as police training depots.
He added that officers withdrawn from VIP guard duties would undergo “crash training” before being redeployed to areas battling heightened insecurity.
The President also directed the Department of State Services to immediately deploy all trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests across the country. The DSS was further authorised to recruit additional personnel.
“There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil. This is a national emergency. We are deploying more boots on the ground, especially in vulnerable communities. The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we must all get involved in securing our nation,” he said.
Tinubu commended security agencies for jointly securing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State. He assured that efforts were ongoing to rescue students of Catholic schools in Niger State and other kidnapped Nigerians still in captivity.
“To the leadership and rank and file of our Armed Forces, I commend your courage and sacrifice. This is a challenging moment for our nation and for the military itself. I charge you to remain resolute, restore peace across all theatres of operation, and uphold the highest standards of discipline. There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” he added.
The President announced that the Federal Government would support state governments operating community-based security outfits.
Tinubu also urged the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws that would allow states seeking to establish their own police forces to do so.
He warned states against maintaining boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security and advised churches and mosques in vulnerable areas to engage security agencies when organising large gatherings.
On the lingering farmer–herder clashes, Tinubu restated that the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development would provide long-term solutions. He appealed to herders to embrace ranching, end open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons.
“I sympathise with the families who have lost their loved ones in recent attacks on soft targets in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara states. I also pay tribute to our brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba,” he said.
Warning criminal groups not to undermine the state, Tinubu emphasised that his administration possessed the resolve and capacity to secure the country.
“Fellow compatriots, I urge you not to give in to fear or despair. Stand firm to defend our freedom and values. Our administration will continue to guarantee peaceful co-existence and preserve our union.”
He called on citizens to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with security agencies.
Tinubu’s declaration came amid nationwide outrage after the killing of at least five people in Kebbi and Kwara states, and the abduction of over 300 schoolchildren from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State.
The Presidency on Monday said the United States Government has expressed readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria through enhanced intelligence sharing, supply of defence equipment and other support to boost ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.
It said the commitment followed a series of engagements held last week in Washington, DC, between a high-level Nigerian delegation and top US officials aimed at strengthening bilateral security ties and opening new areas of collaboration.
The delegation, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met with senior officials from the US Congress, White House Faith Office, State Department, National Security Council and the Department of War.
Other members of the delegation included the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and two representatives from the Office of the NSA.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian team used the engagements to debunk allegations of genocide in the country, insisting that violent attacks cut across religious and ethnic divides.
Onanuga said the delegation also rejected what it described as the “wrongful framing” of Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that such portrayals risked further dividing citizens and misrepresenting realities on the ground.
“The discussions provided ample opportunity to correct misconceptions about Nigeria, forged a constructive, solution-driven partnership with the United States, reinforced mutual trust, and advanced a coordinated approach to protecting vulnerable communities, especially in the Middle Belt,” the statement read.
He added that the US expressed willingness to offer complementary support, including humanitarian assistance to affected populations in the Middle Belt and technical aid to strengthen early-warning mechanisms.
Onanuga said both countries agreed to immediately implement a non-binding cooperation framework and set up a Joint Working Group to coordinate agreed areas of collaboration. Nigeria, he added, reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing civilian protection measures.
“The Federal Government restates its awareness of heightened sensitivities regarding religious freedom and security, and urges citizens to remain assured that firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation,” he stated.
The development comes weeks after former US President Donald Trump threatened to deploy American forces to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if the government failed to halt what he described as the killing of Christians.
Trump, who also designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution, had on his Truth Social platform accused the government of allowing the “mass slaughter” of Christians and warned that Washington could cut aid and take military action.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” he wrote, adding that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for possible operations.
But President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly dismissed claims of genocide against Christians, maintaining that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom, tolerance and the protection of all citizens regardless of faith.
Suspected bandits have abducted four rice farmers in Bokungi community, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening while the victims were working on their farms during the peak of the harvest season. It came barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA of the state, killing two worshippers and abducting several others.
According to sources, the attackers stormed the farms suddenly and surrounded the farmers as they gathered their harvested rice.
“It has been confirmed that bandits struck again at Bokungi under the Lafiagi Emirate. Four people were abducted. Information is still emerging,” the sources said.
Residents said the gunmen operated for several minutes without resistance, forcing the farmers into a nearby bush before whisking them away to an unknown location.
Community members also lamented rising insecurity in Edu LGA, noting that several farming settlements had been abandoned as farmers now fear venturing out during the harvest period when they are most vulnerable.
The Kwara State Police Command and the state government had yet to comment on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
-
Politics3 days agoIbarapa East Assembly Hopeful, Ramon Congratulates Ajiboye, Says Emergence Good for Oyo APC
-
Politics7 days agoMakinde: My Successor Must Be Loyal to Oyo, Not Me
-
Politics3 days ago2027: Former Oyo Deputy Governor Adeyemo Emerges APC Chairman (See Full List)
-
Politics7 days agoFintiri Dumps PDP for APC, Moves with Cabinet, 14 Adamawa Lawmakers