F7418-003

Letter from the Sandwich Papers Long Caption: The Declaration was drafted by Thomas Jefferson in June 1776, drawing upon ideas developed by European philosophers about individual liberty. The declaration states that “all men are created equal”, before listing the complaints against the King that were to justify the breaking of the ties between the colonies and Great Britain. This handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence was sent to the Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, and was one of the first reports of American independence to reach Britain. Credit line: © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Object: SAN/9/16 Artist: unknown Date: unknown Size: unknown Click here to buy a bespoke print of this image.