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In July of 1776‚ bells rang out across the country as criers publicly read the text of one of the most important documents in American history: the Declaration of Independence.  Its publication would precede a global war that resulted in the founding of a new nation. It inspired thousands to participate in the fight for freedom and divided the population with its rhetoric. Eventually‚ it would become part of the mythos of the founding of the nation and inspire dozens of stories related to its creation and purpose.  A prime example is the movie National Treasure which shows Nicolas Cage attempting to steal the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives. Why? Because it supposedly has a hidden message from a shadowy society the Founders were a part of.  Declaration of Independence‚ printed by John Dunlap in Philadelphia. July 4‚ 1776 The Pen Heard Around the World A well-known myth about the Declaration of Independence asserts that the Liberty Bell was cracked in Philadelphia the day the Declaration was signed. However‚ historians have proven this false as the Declaration was not widely shared the day it was signed.  So‚ bells would not have been celebrating the news. (Also‚ dating on the bell itself found that it was not cracked until decades later).  But by July 8‚ the text of the Declaration had been printed and shared across the colonies. As the text was read aloud in crowds‚ the division of the colonies began. The American Revolution began brewing. Spreading the Revolution John Dunlap was the man responsible for spreading the news. Dunlap was a printer who lived in Philadelphia. He stayed up late into the night on July 4 printing copies of the Declaration to disperse across the colonies.  It is unknown what exactly he was copying. Some say it was the document itself‚ others say it may have been Jefferson’s drafted copy.  But Dunlap printed an unknown number of copies to be read to the public in town squares or for military leaders to share with their troops. He was sometimes rushing so quickly that the papers would be folded before the ink could even dry.  This first printing of the Declaration of Independence has become extremely valuable. Only twenty-five are known to still survive and are mostly housed in museums across the globe.  A Flea Market Bargain Buy One of these rare copies was found in 1989 in Adamstown‚ Pennsylvania under unexpected circumstances. A financial analyst from Philadelphia was visiting town and browsing the local flea market when he stumbled across a framed painting.  Although he was not a fan of the painting itself‚ he liked the frame that it was housed in. So he purchased the item for 4 dollars. When he returned home and attempted to remove the painting‚ a small folded piece of paper fell from behind the canvas. It was about the size of a business envelope.  After the frame fell apart‚ he realized that his purchase was a waste. But he looked closer at what had fallen out of the frame. Written on the back of the paper were the words “Declaration of Independence.”  The man assumed it may have been a 19th-century relic. But a friend who collected Civil War memorabilia convinced him to take it to Sotheby’s‚ an appraisal and auctioning company for art‚ jewelry‚ and other items of great worth.  Perfectly Preserved Print After getting the document appraised‚ it was discovered to be one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence that Dunlap printed on July 4‚ 1776. The document was in near pristine condition. It had been folded up and left in the painting‚ forgotten but preserved.  The folding left some creases in the document. And there was evidence that Dunlap had hastily folded it after printing it. Because the first line had left a shadow at the bottom of the page where it touched. But otherwise‚ it had been perfectly preserved.  There are only 24 other known copies of the first print‚ many of which have faced some kind of degradation. Selby Kiffer‚ an American printing specialist who worked on appraising the document‚ commented that it was quite exciting to find even a partial copy or one with extensive damage.  But to find one in near pristine condition was astounding. It had remained nearly untouched for 200 years‚ with no restoration or repairs to be found. It was also unframed and unbacked‚ a rarity amongst the surviving copies that made it more valuable.  A (2.2) Million Dollar Surprise The man agreed to auction the copy of the Declaration through Sotheby’s. An estimate of its worth assumed it would sell for between 800‚000 and 1.2 million dollars. The previous record for a Declaration sold was from a Sotheby’s auction the previous year. A copy from a wealthy steel family’s heir was sold for 1.6 million dollars.  However‚ when the document went to auction in 1991 it sold for an astounding 2.2 million dollars (about 5 million dollars today)‚ nearly twice its assumed worth. When the document returned to auction in 2000‚ it sold for $7.4 million (nearly 13 million dollars today).  He has requested that his identity remain a secret‚ but the man who found this copy of the Declaration of Independence has left a widely known legacy. He is responsible for the most expensive sale of the Declaration of Independence ever.  Wanting to hide his identity is understandable though. He was able to turn 4 dollars into over 2 million dollars through flea market magic! References “The time that a $4 flea market picture frame hid an original copy of the Declaration of Independence.” Newsbreak‚ January 20‚ 2023. https://original.newsbreak.com/@anita-durairaj-561241/2897435782676-the-time-that-a-4-flea-market-picture-frame-hid-an-original-copy-of-the-declaration-of-independence.  Reif‚ Rita. “Declaration of Independence Found in a $4 Picture Frame.” The New York Times‚ April 3‚ 1991: C11. https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/03/arts/declaration-of-independence-found-in-a-4-picture-frame.html.  Muzdakis‚ Madeleine. “Perfectly Preserved Declaration of Independence Found Under a $4 Painting.” My Modern Met‚ May 19‚ 2023. https://mymodernmet.com/declaration-of-independence-found/. The post Finding a $4 Dollar Declaration of Independence in a picture frame first appeared on History Defined.

In April of 1865‚ the American Civil War was coming to a close. A disgruntled actor took it upon himself to support his cause by assassinating the President of the United States.  But sometime between 1864 and early 1865‚ a great historical irony occurred. The inverse situation occurred between two members of the Lincoln and Booth families.  While John Wilkes Booth murdered President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC‚ his brother Edwin Booth saved Robert Todd Lincoln‚ the president’s son‚ months earlier.  Portrait of American actor Edwin Booth. 1886 An Esteemed Actor Edwin Booth was an internationally renowned actor in the mid-nineteenth century. He was born into a theater family. His father and two brothers were also actors‚ although his brother Junius never achieved the fame of Edwin‚ John‚ or their father.  Edwin did‚ at times‚ perform with his family‚ including Shakespearean plays with his father. As well as a benefit performance with his siblings to erect a statue of Shakespeare in Central Park. But they were a family divided.  After the Civil War began and split the nation‚ Edwin remained loyal to the United States as a Unionist while his brother John was drawn to the Confederate cause. The chasm between them was amplified following John’s assassination of the president.  Edwin disowned his brother‚ refusing to even let his name be spoken in his house. Eventually‚ he requested President Johnson return John’s remains to the family. After which Edwin buried the body in the family plot with no marking. John‚ left and Edwin Booth‚ right. A Legacy Politician Robert Todd Lincoln was the oldest of four children born to Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. He was the only one to outlive both parents. Tad was the only other to outlive Abraham.  He graduated from Harvard during the Civil War but was kept from enlisting for most of the war by his mother. Eventually‚ Abraham made the point that he should not receive special privileges just because of the circumstances of his birth. Mary reluctantly agreed.  Robert was granted a position as an officer in General Ulysses S. Grant’s staff. This meant that he would be able to largely avoid any frontline combat. He was also able to witness some of the most important moments of the war‚ including Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.  Thus‚ Robert survived the war and eventually turned down an invitation to join his family at Ford’s Theatre‚ where his father would be assassinated. But over the course of his life‚ he would then witness two other presidential assassinations.  As Secretary of War‚ he was an eyewitness when James Garfield was assassinated in 1881. He was also in attendance at the Pan-American Exposition when William McKinley was shot.  Robert Todd Lincoln between 1870 and 1880 A Historical Irony Edwin and Robert met by happenstance in Jersey City at a train station. Edwin was on his way to Philadelphia from New York. Robert happened to be in the same car.  The train was stopped at the station. Passengers were crowding around the door to buy their sleeping car seats from the conductor‚ who was standing on the platform.  Robert describes how the platform was about the same height as the train car. But it was not completely flush so that the train could pass through. This left a small gap that led to the tracks below.  With the mass of bodies pushing to the doorway of the train car for their tickets‚ Robert wound up pressed against the wall of the car. When the car suddenly began moving a bit‚ he lost his footing and spun around‚ slipping into the gap.  After a brief moment of panic‚ Robert was yanked out of the hole by his shirt collar. As he turned to thank the man who rescued him‚ Lincoln recognized him as one of the most accomplished actors of the age. He said “That was a narrow escape‚ Mr. Booth”‚ thanked him‚ and both of them went on their way.  It was not until weeks later that Edwin realized the significance of what had happened. He received a letter in the mail from his friend Colonel Adam Badeau‚ an officer in the US Army who worked on General Ulysses S. Grant’s staff.  The letter commended Edwin for rescuing the president’s son‚ who had recently joined the US Army and also worked on Grant’s staff. Robert had shared the story of Edwin’s deeds. He was likely in awe that he was rescued by a national celebrity.  An article in The Century Magazine first documented the incident publicly in 1893 after Edwin told the story to his friend‚ the editor William Bispham. In 1909‚ Robert responded with a letter to the new editor Richard Watson Gilder to clarify some specific details of the incident.  Robert’s narration of the events has become the most widely known in the years since the original publication. The Mixed Legacy of Booth and Lincoln Although not formally documented‚ it is said that saving Robert from injury or death eased Edwin’s mind in the years following Lincoln’s assassination. The Booth name was sullied by John’s crimes. And as a loyal Unionist‚ Edwin was heartbroken not only for his family but also for his country.  Although Abraham was murdered in 1865‚ Edwin was able to give him time with his son until he died‚ rather than losing him as the Lincolns had lost their other children. Grant also thanked Edwin personally. But it is unclear whether Abraham ever knew that his to-be assassin’s brother saved his son’s life.  But history remembers the odd historical irony of one Booth killing a Lincoln while another Booth saved one. References Brooks‚ Rebecca Beatrice. “Edwin Booth Saved Robert Todd Lincoln’s Life.” Civil War Saga‚ January 3‚ 2012. https://civilwarsaga.com/edwin-booth-saved-robert-todd-lincolns-life/.  Crotty‚ Rob. “The curious case of Robert Lincoln.” National Archives: Pieces of History‚ October 27‚ 2010. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2010/10/27/the-curious-case-of-robert-lincoln/.  Think on Your Own. “Edwin Booth Saved Abraham Lincoln’s Son‚ Then His Brother Assassinated President Lincoln‚ Then Lincoln’s Son Directly Witnessed Two More Presidential Assassinations.” Medium‚ September 28‚ 2023. https://medium.com/@alexsutton_49516/edwin-booth-saved-abraham-lincolns-son-then-his-brother-assassinated-president-lincoln-then-113a1ad733d5. The post Edwin Booth: How John Wilkes Booth’s brother saved Lincoln’s son first appeared on History Defined.

Photo: Alamy President Donald Trump took to Truth Social Thursday evening to troll this week’s Fox News debate between Gov. Ron DeSantis‚ R-Fla.‚ and Gov. Gavin Newsom‚ D-Calif.‚ calling it… The post Trump TROLLS DeSantis-Newsom debate: ‘BATTLE OF LOSERVILLE’ first appeared on Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN).

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