Steve/sewell
Posts: 4292
Joined: 1/23/2010
Status: online
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One of my other hobbys are collecting historical Philadelphia and New Jersey newspapers.What started out as a way to find out about glass works advertisments,old medicines anything to do with glass houses and bottles to back up information about a particular glass related subject.This has turned into a fulltime hobby which has out grown my glass collection two fold.
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
Adams' prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.
Jefferson then made a clean or "fair" copy of the composition declaration, which became the foundation of the document, labeled by Jefferson as the "original Rough draught." Revised first by Adams, then by Franklin, and then by the full committee, a total of forty-seven alterations including the insertion of three complete paragraphs was made on the text before it was presented to Congress on June 28. After voting for independence on July 2, the Congress then continued to refine the document, making thirty-nine additional revisions to the committee draft before its final adoption on the morning of July 4. The "original Rough draught" embodies the multiplicity of corrections, additions and deletions that were made at each step. Although most of the alterations are in Jefferson's handwriting (Jefferson later indicated the changes he believed to have been made by Adams and Franklin), quite naturally he opposed many of the changes made to his document.
Congress then ordered the Declaration of Independence printed and late on July 4, John Dunlap, a Philadelphia printer, produced the first printed text of the Declaration of Independence, now known as the "Dunlap Broadside." The next day John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress, began dispatching copies of the Declaration to America's political and military leaders. On July 9, George Washington ordered that his personal copy of the "Dunlap Broadside," sent to him by John Hancock on July 6, be read to the assembled American army at New York. In 1783 at the war's end, General Washington brought his copy of the broadside home to Mount Vernon. This remarkable document, which has come down to us only partially intact, is accompanied in this exhibit by a complete "Dunlap Broadside" -- one of only twenty-four known to exist.
One of the most enduring myths about Independence Day is that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.The myth had become so firmly established that, decades after the event and nearing the end of their lives, even the elderly Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had come to believe that they and the other delegates had signed the Declaration on the fourth.[10] Most delegates actually signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776.[11] In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the United States and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become president, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States' 50th anniversary.
Under the supervision of the Jefferson committee, the approved Declaration was printed on July 5th and a copy was attached to the "rough journal of the Continental Congress for July 4th." These printed copies, bearing only the names of John Hancock, President, and Charles Thomson, secretary, were distributed to state assemblies, conventions, committees of safety, and commanding officers of the Continental troops.
On July 19, Congress ordered the production of an engrossed (officially inscribed) copy of the Declaration of Independence, which attending members of the Continental Congress, including some who had not voted for its adoption, began to sign on August 2, 1776. This document is on permanent display at the National Archives.
So we come to the importance of the date Monday July 8th 1776.This was the day the congressional state delagates announced to the public in Philadelphia their final vote for the passage of the Declaration of Independence either on Tuesday July 2nd or Thursday July 4th.The public was unawhere with the delagates decisition till that afternoon July 8th at Twelve O clock outside of the Pennsylvania State house which has since become the most famous building in the United States (Independence hall).
This Newspaper the Pennsylvania Packet and General advertiser was the official Newspaper of the new Government and its publisher
John Dunlap printed the original and at least a 100 additional copies of the Declaration of Independence of which only 20 have been found and accounted for as originals.Inside of this newspaper was a small broadside of the five orginal signers signatures before all the states delagates signed the official made document on August 2nd.This broadside of the rough draft unfortunatley has been removed probably the day it was purchased by some citizen of Philadelphia.Just like you or I would save say the Man on the Moon Newspaper the original owner of this newspaper thought it to be very historical at the time in our countrys beginings.
Another unfortunate aspect of this particular newspaper is that the previuos owner had lamenated the paper in an acid based plastic which is a no no for these old ragweed papers which survive better then more modern newspapers from the the 1870s on up till now.The plastic lamnent caused the bleeding through of ink print from each side to the other which makes it a little difficult to read.I have placed the newspaper in a two sided glass picture frame so you can view either side of the 4 page newspaper.On this paper the names of John Dunlap and the most famous siginature in the world John Hancock are seen often.This is a nice piece of American history and had the previous owner not fooled with his unproffesional preservation attempt this paper would easily command 6 figures at any Americana auction.It took me three weeks working 3 to 4 hours an evening every day straight to slowly peel the lamenent from the newspaper.
I was very fortunate to be able to purchase this at a very reasonable price.I am not selling anytime soon but have received offers from quite a few collectors of early Americana.Here are some pictures of the newspaper.They were tough to take because of glare from the glass encasement but on some of the pictures names and dates are quite ledgable.Enjoy
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Auf Wiedersehen
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July 8th is it an important date also? You bet it is!! - 
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