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Declaration of Independance and Bill of Rights in Manhattan

Started by kDan, July 03, 2013, 05:22:02 PM

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kDan

The main branch of the NY Public Library on 42nd st and 5th Avenue has had on display for the last couple of weeks an original copy (1 of 2 remaining out of 6) of Thomas Jefferson's draft, in his hand, of the Declaration of Independence and an original copy of the Bill of Right signed by John Adams (VP) and James Otis (Secretary of Defense), among others, before ratification by the states.  The display ended today.

I made it in this morning and had the honor of witnessing these documents in person.  I brought my ten year old son with me.  Unfortunatley, no photos were allowed.

The most interesting thing to me was seeing the Bill of Rights containing 12 articles.  The "Right to Bear Arms" was right there - not to be infringed - in the simple straight forward, unambiguous language we have all memorized...  but it was Article Four!  Only ten of the twelve amendments were passed, and I guess this one got bumped up a couple spots.

Just as interesting was the fact that the copies of the Declaration were Jefferson's own which he hand-copied while he was disappointed with the Continental Congress for pulling his language - denouncing both the British citizenry for it's unaccepted responsibility in the quarrel, and the American custom of slavery as being unjust - from the document.  The part about the British was pulled in order to influence and keep sympathy's alive and the part about slavery was pulled in order to win over members from Georgia and South Carolina to the possibility of joining the rest of the colonies in revolt.  He had underlined every line that the Congress redacted from the document, a document that had been signed mere days before.  He sent six copies of this version to his friends and mentors.  When I remarked to my son that he should use this information - from his own eyes (the word "MAN" over-written in capitals when Jefferson speaks of ownership) - in his public school to say that our founders were discussing the obsolescence of slavery almost 100 years before it was abolished.  My boy said it reminded him how Leif Ericson had "discovered" America 1000 years before Columbus, and Asians 10,000 years before him.  History is written by the victors, and taught by those who have the privilege, responsibility, and choice of what to teach.

Both documents are very legible, and as much as I was expecting some archaic formulations making it difficult to discern ("s" looks like "f"), I could read every word that I could see in the dim light 18 inches away in the plexi-glass case.  The folds (in half and then again) in the Declaration had a worn small hole in the middle, but the Bill was an unfolded scroll opened up as big as a brooklyn dinner table.  When I pulled my hip light and flashed it on the document, somebody said to me quickly, "That's a big no-no."  Of course he was right, and I extinguished the light, but o how it lit!  My LED Lenser P3 has shined on the words of Thomas Jefferson.  I will never wash it again.

It was pretty cool.  Happy fourth everybody.

modified to say, I think James Otis was Secretary of State, not Defense. 
"Hot dogs don't go bad"

       -Scout

PHenry

Awesome! What a way to celebrate Independence Day.
Quote
keep sympathy's alive and the part about slavery was pulled in order to win over members from Georgia and South Carolina to the possibility of joining the rest of the colonies in revolt.

PC in 1776 - alive and well.  :(

A man asked me this AM, what I was doing for "The 4th". I told him, with all due respect sir, I celebrate that occasion near daily and that calling it "the 4th" is fairly insulting, considering the impact the moment had on human history. A brief moment of human awakening. That no man who can govern hisself has need of any master, beyond the Creator of all things.

ItsanSKS and I visited Jefferson' "other place" in 2011. It was amazing and if u ever git a chance - it is not to be missed. Like most humans, he was a walking contradiction. He despised slavery, yet kept slaves (came with property). He touted virtues of frugality, yet lived (and died) in perpetual debt. He spoke 7 languages and was learning his eighth when he died. He had one of only a few English translations of the Koran. He was an architect, a scientist, an engineer, an inventor, a horticulturist, a poet, and the list goes on and on. Truly a Renaissance man.

I see his message more than the man - that all men are created equal and are endowed by the Creator with certain un-a-lien-able rights....

I wish we could all stand in the room where he did his heavy thinking as President at Poplar Forest and gaze out upon the same earth he did then. It sends a chill up the spine of any human who holds Liberty in high esteem.

Here's to all my Appleseeds brothers and sisters on this observance of the Declaration of Independence. Huzzaaaah!  O0
Para ser Libre, un Hombre debe tener tres cosas. La Tierra, una Educacion, y un Fusil. Siempre, un Fusil!  Emiliano Zapata

Surculus

Quote from: kDan on July 03, 2013, 05:22:02 PM
...When I remarked to my son that he should use this information - [irrelevant clause deleted] - in his public school to say that our founders were discussing the obsolescence of slavery almost 100 years before it was abolished.

You can blame that [& ultimately, much of the carnage of the Civil War] on Eli Whitney (Sr.) & his invention of the cotton gin. Slavery was already on the downhill slide due to economic inviability when Whitney's gin turned everything on its head.

Still, he made up for it by inventing the American System of manufacture by interchangeable parts [altho' nobody called it that until some time after his death!]

Another FWIW: import of new slaves ended in 1808, iirc. After that, they were all "home grown." Again, economically unprofitable if it wasn't for the mechanization of the cotton-seed removal process...

DJBroo

I was privileged to see these two documents, too. They are extremely rare, and the Library has never exhibited them together before. Because they're so fragile, they were on display for only three days, July 1-3.

I went after work on Tuesday, when the library was open late, and stood in line for 45 minutes, which was totally worth it. Two things that really struck me were the diversity of the crowd, and their unanimous reverence toward the displays. Even while standing in line, people were extremely polite, patient, and respectful--not a typical NYC queue at all. The crowd fanned out once we were admitted to the room where the documents were in three displays: Jefferson's two-sheet (front and back) Declaration sandwiched in glass inside two separate vitrines, so you could read all four pages, and the large, printed Bill of Rights (one of only 14 orignal copies known to exist) laid on a slanted backing inside another, much larger display case.

Even though people were allowed to crowd around the displays at will, there was no bad behavior that I saw: Everyone waited patiently for their turn and took as long as they liked. A man held his little daughter up so she could see page two of the Declaration, and she began to read it out loud, which was just amazing on so many levels: First, she was small and didn't look as if she could possibly be older than maybe 6 or 7, so it was incredible that she could read at all, and then that she could read cursive, and then that she read so well. Everyone became quiet as we listened to her, and the only time she had trouble with the words was where some had been rubbed out or obscured. "For abolishing the free system of English laws in a n..." she stumbled on the word "neighboring" then went on. I thought, well, Mr. Jefferson, did you know you were writing to this little girl, 237 years in the future? It's Thomas Jefferson, though, so he probably DID know.

Over at the Bill of Rights, there was a discussion about the 12 Articles. A woman said something about how she thought the Bill of Rights was 10 Amendments, and another woman, a stranger to her, explained that not all of the articles were ratified.  She looked confused, so I, being Little Miss Know-It-All, explained that Amendments to the Constitution have to be voted on and accepted by  three-fourths of the states. A couple of other people joined in, and I listened to Citizens quietly and respectfully instructing each other in a way I've never heard before.

As I said, the crowd was diverse: there was a typical NYC mix of races and ethnicities, including three Southeast Asian folks who were recent citizens and very solemn in the presence of these documents. I thought, This is why they've come here--not for these three specific pieces of paper, but for the promise contained in the words written here. It's a promise we must try very hard to keep.




Revman

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country

Lawrence

Thanks to Revman for the BTT.

I'm sorry I missed the original post! I try to read everything kDan contributes as it occurs only when he can provide clarity and wisdom, along with his special style of prose.

kDan's, PHenry's and DJBroo's comments brought tears to my eyes and hope to my heart!

Johnnyappleseed

Awesome display and awesome commentary by Appleseeders in reference to   the only time in history that royal blood was defeated and a govt was formed to limit its own power !

PH is correct ! Independence Day should be treasured  daily ! I would humbly suggest Appleseeders learn the bill of rights and source of rights .


1 through 8 can be directly traced to British abuses and fit perfectly to April 19 th !
9 and 10  go to limits of governments power and are related to the purpose of govt as outlined in the declaration .




Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge