Declaration of Independence at NYPL

Not all Declarations of Independence are written out equally, as the New York Public Library will make clear from July 1–7 when the institution displays an original manuscript copy of the founding document, handwritten by Thomas Jefferson himself, that differs radically from the one we all know—as in, this copy includes a lengthy condemnation of slavery. The rare manuscript is part of the library's larger celebration of the nation's semiquincentennial, with additional exhibits and events still to be announced.