Declaration of Independence arrives at Minnesota History Center
by Bob Geiger Staff Writer
Students from St. Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic School are among the first Minnesotans to view the Declaration of Independence, which went on display Tuesday morning in St. Paul. (Photo by Bill Klotz)
The document, one of 25 remaining original copies printed July 4, 1776, was unveiled for viewing Tuesday at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul.
The framed document, which is nearly 232 years old, proclaims the United States of America’s independence from Britain and is considered the nation’s birth certificate. And Tuesday, schoolchildren on field trips to the History Center got a special treat when they were able to gawk at the priceless piece of American history.
The Declaration is in Minnesota to kick-off celebrations for the state’s sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary.
Funding for the display of the Declaration came from Minneapolis-based Dolan Media Co., parent firm of Finance and Commerce, the Saint Paul Legal Ledger, Politics in Minnesota and Minnesota Lawyer.
State officials including Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie will join Dolan Media founder Jim Dolan in an opening celebration Wednesday evening at the History Center.
The number of known copies increased to 25 that year, when a flea market shopper in Pennsylvania bought a framed painting for $4. But upon inspecting a tear in a lining inside the painting, the lucky shopper found inside a folded copy of the Declaration.
The $4 purchase turned out to be a wise investment, since television writer and producer Norman Lear bought the 25th “Dunlap broadside” for $8.14 million at a 2000 auction.
Since that time, Lear, an outspoken supporter of the First Amendment and a variety of liberal causes, has put the document on tour, giving people who can’t get to Washington, D.C., where the original Declaration is displayed, a chance to see part of U.S. history.
Accompanying the Declaration of Independence copy on the direct flight from Los Angeles to Minneapolis was Christie Manning, a 23-year-old graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU) who is program manager for Declare Yourself, a voting rights nonprofit organization that Lear founded.
Manning landed her job last September when she came across the position when perusing job listings on craigslist .com. Since then, Manning has been busy ferrying around the country a climate-controlled case containing Lear’s copy of the Declaration of Independence, a particularly noteworthy event during a presidential election year.
“I travel with the document but I’m never alone with it,” she said, referring to a pair of guards who are stationed near the document when it’s on display or on tour with Manning.
“They’re not your usual $10-an-hour guards,” she said. “They’re former Marines.”
In many aspects, security arrangements for the 25th copy of the Declaration are similar to those afforded U.S. presidents: It is met at the airport by security, ferried through unchecked gates by security guards, and transported in a secure vehicle before delivery for free viewing by the public.
Manning graduated from SDSU with a degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution in 2007.
From Minneapolis, the Declaration copy is scheduled to be flown to Indianapolis, where it will stay through the Indianapolis 500 auto race on Memorial Day, and then travel onto Philadelphia before being returning to Los Angeles.
During its stay in Minnesota at the History Center, the Declaration of Independence will be on display 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Admission to see the copy of the Declaration is free, although the regular admission fee remains for other History Center exhibits.
Of the surviving copies, 21 belong to universities, historical societies, museums and public halls, with the remaining four, including the copy on display through May 18 at the History Center, privately owned.
