Early Charleston-Printed Declaration of Independence On Display

In August of 1776, Huguenot descendant and staunch patriot, Peter Timothy of Charles Town, fearlessly printed and distributed broadside copies of the Declaration of Independence. In collaboration with the Huguenot Society of South Carolina, the only known surviving copy printed by Timothy, on loan from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, will be on display for a limited time at The Charleston Museum as part of the Museum’s "Ringleaders of Rebellion: Charleston in Revolt, 1775-1783" exhibit.

The printed broadside mirrored the Declaration adopted on July 4, listing grievances against the King and absolving the United Colonies “from all Allegiance to the British Crown,” and helped spread news of independence throughout the region during the summer of 1776. At a time when such materials were the primary means of circulating revolutionary ideas, these broadsides played a crucial role in informing citizens and rallying support for the new nation.

The Museum and The Huguenot Society of South Carolina will co-sponsor a special Declaring Independence in Charleston: Text and Context Lecture in conjunction with the display of the Declaration broadside on June 23 at 6 p.m.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see this extraordinary document up close from May 30 through Aug. 30.