The Declaration was designed to justify breaking away from a government; the Constitution and Bill of Rights were designed to establish a government. The Declaration and Bill of Rights set limitations on government; the Constitution was designed both to create an energetic government and also to constrain it.

How was the Declaration of Independence different from previous documents prepared by colonists? It committed the colonies to being independent. It asked King George III to take action. It did not list problems the colonists had with British rule.

There is only one copy of the engrossed and signed Declaration of Independence, in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. This copy was produced and signed several weeks after the Declaration of Independence was first published.

There is something written on the back of the Declaration of Independence, but it isn’t a secret map or code. Instead, there are a few handwritten words that say, “Original Declaration of Independence / dated 4th July 1776”. The United States didn’t exist until after the Declaration was signed!

Declaration of Independence Sells for $2.4 Million. New York Times subscribers* enjoy full access to TimesMachine—view over 150 years of New York Times journalism, as it originally appeared.

Because it’s a magical document, ripping it up would do nothing, by itself. However, if you ripped it up after soaking it in the blood of a Loyalist while singing God Save the Queen the curse would instantly be lifted and the American colonies would be restored to The British Empire.

It sounded like a smart idea, but over the course of 35 years on display, the document was exposed to damaging light that further faded what little ink remained. In the process, the document became exposed to damaging light for 35 years, causing what little ink remained to fade even more.