PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the Rhode Island State Archives today announced that the State Archives will be open for special Independence Day hours on July 4 so that the public can view Rhode Island's three copies of the Declaration of Independence.
"The State Archives are the keepers of three beautifully-preserved pieces of American history – Rhode Island's copies of the Declaration of Independence," said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. "I hope Rhode Islanders and visitors alike will take advantage of this opportunity to see our history up close."
From 9 a.m. until noon on July 4, the State Archives will display its three versions of the Declaration of Independence: the Southwick Printing (1776), the Goddard Printing (1777), and the Stone Printing (1823). In addition, a new banner exhibit telling the story of each of Rhode Island's three copies can be viewed in the windows of the State Archives from Broad Street. This exhibit will remain on display through the month of July.
The three copies of the Declaration of Independence each served a vital purpose.
In 1776, Solomon Southwick, printer of the Newport Mercury, printed the first copies of the Broadside in Rhode Island, one for each Rhode Island town.
In 1777, Congress ordered an official copy sent to the Rhode Island General Assembly. Printed by Mary Katherine Goddard of Baltimore, this printing was the first to feature the names of the signers and was signed as a "True Copy" by John Hancock.
The William J. Stone engravings of the Declaration of Independence were ordered by the United States Department of State and through a joint resolution of Congress due to the fading state of the original document. Two hundred printings were authorized for distribution among surviving signers, government officials and departments, institutions of higher learning, and other similar groups.
The event will also feature the State's copy of "Brave Men as Ever Fought," a portrait commemorating the First Rhode Island Regiment. In 1778, Rhode Island reorganized its regiments of the Continental Army and authorized the recruitment of enslaved men into the First Rhode Island Regiment. Over 130 free Black men and formerly enslaved men joined the regiment that year. The enslaved men were granted their freedom immediately upon their enlistment, the first and only time such an offer had been made by a state government during the Revolutionary War. The original portrait, on loan to the RI Department of State from the Museum of the American Revolution, was displayed in the State House from March to June of this year.
The State Archives is home to more than 10 million letters, photographs, and important state documents that form a permanent, tangible record of Rhode Island's rich history. Visitors to the Archives can access vital records, census data, historical manuscripts and documents, and more. Many artifacts and documents have also been digitized and are available in the State Archives online catalog at https://catalog.sos.ri.gov/ and Digital Archives. To learn more about the State Archives, visit https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/state-archives.
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