The Rhode Island Historical Society will display a rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence tonight at the John Brown House Museum during the Concerts Under the Elms featuring The American Band. The document will be on display from 5 to 8 p.m., rain or shine, though the concert may be cancelled in case of inclement weather. The first floor of the John Brown House Museum at 52 Power Street in Providence will be open for free to view this extraordinary document. 

The Declaration of Independence is a “broadside.” This edition of the Declaration, printed in Rhode Island, contains a typographical error, which makes it unique. In 1915 bibliographer George Parker Winship wrote of it: “In his excitement at being the purveyor of what is probably the most momentous news ever to reach the American people, the Newport printer inadvertently set up his date-line as ‘June 13th’ rather than ‘July 13th.’” 

Just like posters are used today, the majority of broadsides were created as ephemeral items to be posted outside for all to see and then discarded. As a result, very few examples of each broadside have survived to the present day. The RIHS holds two Rhode Island imprints of the Declaration of Independence as part of its extraordinary collection of broadsides. Only five other copies of this broadside are currently known to exist.

This copy of the Declaration of Independence, as well as a set of the earliest 80 broadsides in the RIHS collections dating from 1693 to 1777, are now fully accessible to researchers through the Society’s online catalog NETOP. The project was made possible by the generous support from the following organizations: Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the Revolution, Rhode Island Society of Colonial Wars, Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, General Society of Colonial Wars.