Went to the Library today and saw....

[Rakhel]

An original copy of the Declaration of Independence. It was one of two copies remaining in existence and believed to be the copy given to George Wythe.
It was rather interesting, in that I learned a few things about this document.
It was one of, at least, 5 fair copies Jefferson wrote to give to friends.
The declaration was written on both sides of a handmade paper 12 5/8 inches high by 7 7/8 inches wide. And the yellowing wasn't bad for a document 200+ years old.
The copy we saw today also contained later deleted material that Jefferson had undersigned to show what had been taken out.
And what I found found really interesting was that this copy contained 12 amendments.
The 10 that were ratified and two that weren't.
One that contained information has to Congress compensation and the second that "potentially could have resulted in a House with 6,000 members today."


I be smart now

 

[BSM1]

Kudos

 

[tytlyf]

I wish more people knew America's history and it's founders. There's a reason why Jefferson was one of the 4 faces carved into a mountain. The founding fathers were a mix of beliefs, but they all knew to come together and write a secular Constitution for a new nation.

 

[Rakhel]

I wish they taught more about American history.
Granted my American History teacher taught a lot about the wars(he was a war buff) but to find out more than 20 years after that class that there were originally 12 amendments as well as 5 or 6 extra copies that showed deleted text?
That's what gets me.

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

Amendments to the Declaration of Independence? Do you mean an original Constitution?

 

[Rakhel]

Amendments to the Declaration of Independence? Do you mean an original Constitution?

Nope. I mean the Declaration of Independence. But the Bill of Rights was also there. So, I'm sorry if there was some confusion. I was rather excited today. I have not seen either before.
According to the pamphlet handed out by the NYPL staff, and I quote,:

While the Bill of Rights comprises the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, the Library's copy actually includes 12 amendments, two of which were not ratified. The first of these dealt with compensation for members of Congress: the other out lined a system of representation for the House of Representatives that potentially could have resulted in a House with 6,000 members today.

Can you imagine a House with 6,000 members in it? They fight as it is now.

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

Nope. I mean the Declaration of Independence. But the Bill of Rights was also there. So, I'm sorry if there was some confusion. I was rather excited today. I have not seen either before.
According to the pamphlet handed out by the NYPL staff, and I quote,:

I learned something new today :yes:, had no idea the Bill of Rights was in the Declaration of Independence.

 

[Sea Monkey]

You can learn a lot of neat stuff at the library.

 

[ZooGirl02]

That is really cool. I have never seen an original version of the Declaration of Independence.

 

[Rakhel]

That is really cool. I have never seen an original version of the Declaration of Independence.

apparently there are only two surviving copies of the D of I, te one here in NY and one in Philadelphia.

 

[Treks]

Old fashioned track changes!

Thanks for sharing, very interesting.

 

[adi2d]

Nice to learn something new

Original copy. Two words that don't look like they belong together. Like jumbo shrimp,or military intelligence.

 

[Rakhel]

Well can't call it the original, but I can call it a copy.
However, since it was written in Jefferson's own hand, I can call it an original.
Thus, it would be correct to call it an original copy.

 

[adi2d]

Well can't call it the original, but I can call it a copy.
However, since it was written in Jefferson's own hand, I can call it an original.
Thus, it would be correct to call it an original copy.

Sorry. Didn't mean to say you were wrong. just trying for a funny.

 

[Rakhel]

Sorry. Didn't mean to say you were wrong. just trying for a funny.

Oh I didn't think you were saying I was wrong. It is rather funny, calling a copy an original. It just doesn't sound right to the ear. and trying to explain how a copy can be an original is even stranger to the ear.

 

[Mathematician]

Was Nicholas Cage there, too?

 

[Rakhel]

Was Nicholas Cage there, too?

LOL if he was I didn't see him.