The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, stands as America’s most profound assertion of liberty. However, the story we often tell about this document—a tale of unanimous signing and immediate, universal celebration—is largely a myth. The Declaration’s journey was far more complicated, involving heated debates, last-minute edits, and decades of relative obscurity before it achieved its iconic status.
Here are seven little-known facts that reveal the true, complex history of the Declaration of Independence.
1. It Was Not Signed on July 4th
This is perhaps the biggest misconception. While the Second Continental Congress formally adopted Thomas Jefferson’s edited text on July 4, 1776, the grand signing ceremony often depicted in famous paintings did not happen that day.
Congress had voted for independence on July 2nd. The document was officially adopted two days later. Most delegates, including the famous John Hancock, did not sign the “engrossed” (final, parchment) copy until August 2, 1776. One signer, Thomas McKean, may not have signed until as late as 1777, nearly a year after the Declaration was adopted.
2. The First Public Reading Was Days Later
The Declaration wasn’t treated as an instant national holiday upon its adoption. The first public reading of the text didn’t occur until July 8, 1776, when Colonel John Nixon read it aloud to an enthusiastic crowd in the State House Yard in Philadelphia.
For several days after its adoption, the document existed only as a printing known as the “Dunlap Broadside”—rapidly printed copies sent out to military commanders and colonial assemblies to spread the news. The names of the signers were even kept secret for months to protect them from British retaliation, as they were committing treason.
3. Jefferson’s Draft Condemned King George III for Slavery
One of the most profound and painful omissions from the final document was a passionate clause written by Thomas Jefferson that would have condemned King George III for the slave trade. Jefferson blamed the King for both importing enslaved people and encouraging their use in the colonies.
This entire passage was removed by Congress at the insistence of delegates from Georgia and South Carolina, who would not support independence if it included an indictment of the slave trade. This compromise allowed for the unity needed to declare independence but left a deep moral contradiction at the core of the new nation.
4. It Was Almost Lost to History
The Declaration’s significance was not immediately recognized by the public or the leaders of the time. The document was largely forgotten, deemed a mere artifact of the past, during the critical period of founding the new government and ratifying the Constitution in the late 1780s.
The Declaration only began to be revived and mythologized in the 1790s, when political factions (especially the Jeffersonian Republicans) used it as a rallying cry. It took decades for the Declaration to evolve from an obsolete piece of war propaganda into the revered, foundational text on human rights we know today.
5. There Is Simple Writing on the Back
Contrary to popular legend—and the premise of some fictional movies—there is no secret map or invisible code written on the back of the Declaration. The inscription is plain and practical.
If you turn the original parchment over, you will find the words: “Original Declaration of Independence / dated 4th July 1776.” This simple label was added when the document was rolled up and stored, likely to help the early archivists identify it quickly among many other important government papers.
6. Many Signers Paid a Heavy Personal Price
Signing the Declaration was an act of treason punishable by death, and many of the 56 men who signed the document suffered immense hardship as a result.
The signers were not a homogenous group; they included lawyers, merchants, physicians, and farmers, with several born outside the colonies. Many faced financial ruin, with their homes and fortunes destroyed or confiscated by the British. At least nine signers died before the American Revolution was officially won, never seeing the independence they risked everything for.
7. Original Printed Copies Are Incredibly Rare and Valuable
The first printed version of the Declaration, known as a Dunlap Broadside, was crucial for disseminating the news. Only a handful were printed in the early morning hours of July 5, 1776.