Declaration of Independence Coming to Minnesota

Display Part of State Sesquicentennial Celebration

Media Contacts:
Dennis Smith
Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State
651-201-1347
dennis.smith@state.mn.us

Marjorie Nugent
Minnesota Historical Society
651-259-3145
marjorie.nugent@mnhs.org

Tane Danger
Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission
612-670-0596
tane@mn150years.org

Sarah Janecek
Dolan Media Company
612-801-6352
sarah@politicsinminnesota.com

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Joined by Andrea Kajer of the Minnesota Historical Society and Jane Leonard of the Sesquicentennial Commission, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced today that a rare, original copy of the Declaration of Independence will visit Minnesota this year. The Declaration will be part of a display at the Minnesota History Center, May 6-18, coinciding with Minnesota Statehood Week, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of Minnesota becoming the 32nd state of the Union.

The Declaration of Independence, considered the nation’s “birth certificate,” laid the foundation for personal freedoms and individual rights in the United States and around the world. This copy, known as a “Dunlap Broadside,” is one of only 25 remaining original copies of the Declaration printed on the evening of July 4, 1776, at the shop of Philadelphia printer John Dunlap – and the only one that travels for exhibition. Another copy was sent to Gen. George Washington, who read it aloud to his troops. Still another copy was sent to King George III.

The document is valued at more than $8 million. The Declaration comes to Minnesota via a presenting sponsorship by Dolan Media Company.

“Bringing the Declaration – the bedrock of our democracy – to Minnesota is an honor for Dolan Media,” says Jim Dolan, president, CEO and chairman of Dolan Media Company. “The Declaration sparked the freedoms that we all enjoy in both our personal and professional lives.”

The visit of the Declaration will also serve as the centerpiece of the Secretary of State’s “Democracy Starts Here” series of exhibits, conferences, and seminars exploring the history and future of Minnesota and the Office of the Secretary of State.

“This is the most vital document in our living American history,” Ritchie says. “This visit appropriately coincides with our celebration of Minnesota’s 150th birthday, and occurs in a year when Minnesotans will go to vote at the polls and exercise one of their most basic rights.”

View a film about the Declaration. An image of the Declaration is also available online with this news release at http://events.mnhs.org/media/news/images/highres/20080327_DOI.htm.

The Declaration will be on display for free public viewing at the Minnesota History Center. Visit www.mnhs.org for information on hours and directions.

###

 

Declaration of Independence Visit to Minnesota

Background Information

History of Document

On July 4, 1776, leaders of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. The text was rushed to the shop of Philadelphia printer John Dunlap, where he typeset the document and created about 200 “broadsides” for distribution by horseback throughout the colonies. It was read aloud to large groups, printed in local newspapers and recognized as our nation’s “birth certificate.”Only 25 copies of this original printing, now called the “Dunlap Broadside,” still exist and only one travels for public exhibit. This extremely rare copy has been loaned by the non-profit civic organization Declare Yourself for Minnesota’s sesquicentennial activities.

This Dunlap Broadside was discovered behind a painting bought by a flea market shopper in 1989. It was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1991 for $2.42 million. The broadside was auctioned again in June 2000 and was purchased, by Norman and Lyn Lear and David and Storey Hayden, for $8.14 million.

Display Information

The Declaration of Independence will be on public display Tuesday, May 6, through Sunday, May 18, at the Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, at the following times:

• Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Admission to the Declaration is free, as is a display of Minnesota historical documents, including two handwritten versions of the state’s Constitution. Regular admission fees apply to see “MN150” and other exhibits at the History Center. For more information, visit www.mnhs.org or call 651-259-3000 or 1-800-657-3773.

School Groups

On a first-come, first served basis, school groups can arrange to see the Declaration of Independence by contacting the Minnesota History Center at 651-259-3400.

Dolan Media Company, Exhibit Sponsor

This display of the Declaration of Independence is made possible by Dolan Media Company, a leading provider of business information and professional services to legal, financial and real estate sectors in the United States. In Minnesota, Dolan Media Company (NYSE: DM) publishes:

• Finance & Commerce, the only independent daily newspaper dedicated to business reporting, along with analysis and commentary on Minnesota business;
• Minnesota Lawyer, an independent weekly newspaper dedicated to providing legal professionals statewide with legal news and analysis;
• St. Paul Legal Ledger, the only independent newspaper dedicated to covering the Minnesota Legislature, state politics and public policy; and,
• Politics in Minnesota, an online public affairs news service that publishes morning and weekly reports about Minnesota politics and government, along with a biannual comprehensive legislative directory.Politics in Minnesota was acquired by Dolan Media Company in March 2008.

Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State

The Declaration’s visit launches the Secretary of State’s “Democracy Starts Here” sesquicentennial activities, including exhibits and seminars exploring the history and future of Minnesota’s democracy. The mission of the Office is to serve the people of Minnesota by administering fair, free and honest elections; promoting citizen participation in democracy and government; facilitating commerce and public associations; and preserving the records entrusted to the Office. For more information, visit www.sos.state.mn.us.

Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849 to preserve and share Minnesota history. The Society tells the story of Minnesota through museum exhibits, extensive libraries and collections, historic sites, publishing and educational programs. In 2008, the Society is commemorating Minnesota’s 150th anniversary of statehood with events and programs including “MN150,” an exhibit featuring 150 people, places and things that shaped our state, on display at the Minnesota History Center. For more information, visit www.mnhs.org.

Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission

The Commission was created by the State Legislature to plan, promote and coordinate events and activities statewide for Minnesota’s 150th anniversary. Statehood Week, May 11-18 – including the display of the Declaration of Independence, Capitals for a Day throughout Minnesota May 12-16, and Statehood Weekend May 17 & 18 in St. Paul – will herald a summer season of more than 400 programs and events for Minnesota’s 150th birthday. For more information, visit www.mn150years.org.

Declare Yourself

Declare Yourself is a national non-partisan, non-profit campaign to encourage every eligible 18-year-old in America to register and vote in the primaries and 2008 presidential election. Founded by television producer Norman Lear, Declare Yourself was launched in 2003 following the Declaration of Independence Road Trip, a nationwide tour of an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. The organization registered over one million young people in the 2004 and 2006 elections at www.DeclareYourself.com.