Jones wrote the Declaration as it appears within the text of what stands as the earliest complete manuscript of the 1777 New York State Constitution, the only state constitution to quote the Declaration’s text in full.
At the New York convention in Poughkeepsie where they were considering ratifying the Constitution, Jones broke the impasse about whether a bill of rights should be added. It was Jones who proposed removing the words "on condition that" a listing of rights would be added and proposed to insert the words “in full confidence that" a listing of rights would be added. Jones won that battle by two votes which assured both the success of the Constitution as well as the later addition of the Bill of Rights.
“This document played a key role in shaping the nation’s founding principles and is the only privately held 18th-century manuscript of the Declaration of Independence according to the census maintained by Harvard University’s Declaration Resource Project," said Peter Klarnet at Christie’s who conducted the detailed authentication process in collaboration with constitutional scholar John P. Kaminski, Director of the Study of the American Constitution at the University of Wisconsin.
"It is a unique artifact tied directly to the establishment of the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, and this auction marks the first time a manuscript of the Declaration by such a significant figure has ever been available. Its historical importance and scarcity make it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors and institutions alike,” states Peter Klarnet.
"The Declaration of Independence holds a unique place in the New York Constitution, serving as a preamble to the 1777 document. While some other state constitutions mention the enactment of the Declaration of Independence in their preambles, New York boldly enshrined the entire document in text, linking its new government directly to the ideals of independence and natural rights. The discovery of this manuscript emphasizes the Declaration’s role not only as the foundational document establishing a new nation but also as the standard against which all governments "deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
The 'Jones Declaration of Independence' will be auctioned at Christie’s New York on January 24 in its Important Americana auction.
