Preamble

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

People have certain Inalienable Rights including Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. All Men are created equal. Individuals have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves and others.

Were they all signed? There is only one copy of the engrossed and signed Declaration of Independence, in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. This copy was produced and signed several weeks after the Declaration of Independence was first published.

Well all theft could technically be considered treacherous (which means deceitful). However it could very well also be considered treasonous. It definitely would be a federal crime as the National Archives holds records of the federal government.

The perpetrator would be charged with reaming and entering, willful damage of federal property, felony theft, and violating numerous other Federal laws, including attempted destruction of Federal property. If convicted, the likely result would be a very lengthy prison sentence and a huge fine.

In the process, the document became exposed to damaging light for 35 years, causing what little ink remained to fade even more. Public officials lamented the damage, especially as photography came of age. The first photo of the Declaration, taken in 1883, charted the deterioration.

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

A rare second parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found — in England. At the time, no one knew there was any other parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence besides the original one signed in 1776, kept at the National Archives in Washington.