The Declaration of Independence's surprising history

Declaration of Independence
A replica of an original copy of the Declaration of Independence, which will be on display in St. Paul May 6-18.
MPR photo/Tom Weber

It's hard to imagine now, but at one time the Declaration of Independence was considered obsolete. That was until Abraham Lincoln kept referring to it in the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, and even more famously in the Gettysburg Address.

Two scholars of the Declaration of Independence throughout history talk about how understanding of the document evolved over time.

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