Declaration of Independence
This unique copy of the Declaration of Independence reflects a complex history. The colonists sought “to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitle them.” This copy was annotated by John McKesson, secretary of New York’s Fourth Provincial Congress, while it considered the resolution on July 9, 1776. In the margin of the front page, he added that the state’s delegates to the Continental Congress were empowered to “adopt all such measures as they may deem conducive to the Happiness & welfare of the united States of America.” On the back, McKesson noted the arrival of representatives by county, along with a vote tally that “Resolved unanimously” in favor. With this vote, New York became the thirteenth colony to adopt the Declaration, solidifying the new nation’s unity.
Declaration of Independence with manuscript annotations by John McKesson, (recto and verso), July 9–30, 1776. Broadside, printed by John Holt, 20 1/2 × 12 1/2 in. (52 × 31.7 cm). The Huntington, 81684, purchased by Henry E. Huntington, 1920.