Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words The Untold Story of the Declaration of Independence | Victor Davis Hanson
May 13, 2026
Michael Auslin, historian and Hoover Institution fellow, narrates the perilous material journey of the Declaration and how it became a national icon. He discusses reproductions that shaped public memory. Short segments explore who signed and why, committee edits to Jefferson’s drafts, and how rival political movements have invoked the text.
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Miraculous Survival Of The Original Parchment
- The original Declaration parchment survived a perilous physical journey during and after the Revolutionary War.
- Michael Auslin recounts it being packed in sacks and carts, hidden in a Virginia cellar after the 1814 British burning of Washington.
Icon Status Came After 1814 Crisis
- The Declaration became a public icon only after its near-loss in 1814 and subsequent reproductions.
- John Quincy Adams commissioned William Stone's engraving (three years) which set the visual standard for later prints.
Key Founders Who Didn't Sign The Parchment
- Many famous founders like Washington, Hamilton, Madison, and Monroe did not sign the engrossed parchment.
- Washington was in the field; Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were not delegates at the signing in August 1776.
