Declaration of Independence on view at Rhode Island State Archives on July 4th

At left is the first Newport printing of the Declaration of Independence by Solomon Southwick, facsimile, 1776. At right is a copy by Mary Katherine Goddard printing, 1777. (Rhode Island State Archives)

Squeeze in a slice of history between the holiday parades and hot dogs with a stop at the Rhode Island State Archives in Providence.

The state’s three copies of the Declaration of Independence will be front and center on July 4 during limited holiday hours, 10 a.m. to noon, Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore announced on Monday.

“As we look forward to parades and gatherings with family and friends on Independence Day, I encourage Rhode Islanders to take a moment to visit the State Archives and see the document that is the reason for the holiday,” Amore said. “Rhode Island is fortunate to have three magnificent copies of the Declaration of Independence, and it is a special experience to see them up close and in person.”

During the rest of the year, the public can view the three copies by making an appointment with archives staff, who can retrieve  the documents from their storage space.

The oldest of the trio, the Southwick Printing, is one of roughly 200 copies printed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, immediately following the approval by Congress that same day. Then-Gov. Nicholas Cooke received Rhode Island’s copy two days later, according to the Department of State. A local printer for the Newport Mercury, Solomon Southwick, was also paid to reproduce the document to give to the state’s town clerks.

Six months later, in January 1777, a second printing of the Declaration was authorized through Connecticut printer Mary Goddard. Unlike the prior iteration, the second round publicly identified the names of each document signatory. A third, stone engraving of the same document was ordered in 1823, with 200 printings shared with surviving signers, government officials and departments, and higher education institutions.

The State Archives houses more than 10 million letters, photographs and other important state documents in its home at 33 Broad St. in Providence. More information is available online at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/state-archives.

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