A retired insurance executive found a lost Declaration of Independence in Britain’s National Archives

Michael Scurr, a retired insurance executive volunteering at Britain’s National Archives, discovered a rare early copy of the Declaration of Independence attached to an 18th-century Royal Navy captain’s letter. The document, part of the Exeter printing from July 1776, is one of 11 known copies and the only one found outside the U.S., highlighting its role in spreading news of American independence during the Revolutionary War.