Declaration of Independence Lanyard

• National Archives Store Exclusive
• Made in the U.S.A.
• 17 1/2 inch woven lanyard

• Product Description

• The Declaration of Independence reminds us of our inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Here as a lanyard colored in the red hues in popular use at the time of the Declaration’s drafting, it is a great item for the history-loving patriot.

Drafted by 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty. It was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and announced that the 13 American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead, they formed a union that would become a new nation: the United States of America.

Today, the Declaration of Independence continues to inspire people around the world to fight for freedom and equality.

On December 13, 1952, the Charters of Freedom were permanently relocated from the Library of Congress to the National Archives in a procession of tanks in an armored personnel carrier. Upon arrival, the documents were placed in a custom-built, 50-ton, steel and concrete, bomb- and fire-proof safe.

The original Declaration of Independence is on permanent display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.