How rare US Declaration of Independence copy was saved

Article excerpt

An original parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence, one of only 26 known to exist, was discovered in a Chichester, England archive and nearly destroyed before conservators intervened. The document, printed on vellum in 1776, had been overlooked for decades in a collection at Chichester Cathedral. Experts realized its significance just in time, recognizing it as one of the rare copies distributed to officials during America's founding. Its survival in England raises questions about how this crucial American historical artifact ended up across the Atlantic and why it remained hidden for so long.