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Declaration of Independence [manuscript copy] handwritten copy by John Adams, before 28 June 1776

Declaration of Independence [manuscript copy] handwritten copy by John Adams, before 28 June 1776

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    32.5 cm x 20 cm

    From the Adams Family Papers


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    • Main description

    [ This description is from the project: MHS 225th Anniversary ]

    On 11 June 1776, Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston to draft a formal declaration of independence. At an early stage of the revisions, Adams copied the entire document. The Adams copy is extremely important for demonstrating the evolution of the text from Jefferson's original rough draft.