Document will be on display at Arizona History Museum
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is inviting Southern Arizonans to view a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence that will be on display in Tucson later this month.
“The Declaration of Independence is our nation’s most cherished testament to the value we place on individual liberty,” said Giffords. “Southern Arizonans should not miss the opportunity to see this rare document.”
Giffords worked closely with the Arizona Historical Society and the National Student/Parent Mock Election to bring the document to Tucson. The congresswoman will lead the exhibit’s opening ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 21.
Giffords will be joined at the ceremony by Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias. A video message from former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor also will be shown.
Only 26 original copies of the Declaration of Independence exist. Known as a broadside, the copies were the first published versions of the document that was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
All the copies were produced by John Dunlap, a Philadelphia printer, hours after the original was approved. An estimated 200 copies were made and distributed throughout the 13 colonies.
Gloria Kirshner, president of the National Student/Parent Mock Election, said the exhibit represents a tremendous educational opportunity for Southern Arizona school children.
“We hope the experience of seeing this rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence will inspire our children to carry the torch of democracy,” she said. “They will then be prepared to pass it on the next generation, as the founding fathers passed it on to us.”
The copy coming to Tucson was discovered in 1989 when a Philadelphia man removed the frame from a painting he had purchased for $4 at a flea market and found the broadside concealed inside. TV producer and philanthropist Norman Lear acquired it 11 years later at an auction. He paid $8.14 million.
The Declaration of Independence will be displayed at the Arizona History Museum, 949 E. 2nd St. in Tucson, on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 22, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
The exhibit is made possible by a partnership between the Arizona Historical Society, the Pearson Foundation, Declare Yourself, the National Student/Parent Mock Election and the Arizona Rangers, as well as many local businesses and volunteers.