You’ve heard of the Declaration of Independence, but what about the Declaration of Dependence?

The Declaration of Dependence was a petition from Loyalists living in New York in 1776 who were loyal to the British crown during the American Revolutionary War.

What You Need To Know

  • “Our History of Discord” is a new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side

  • It features two rare documents from 1776, including a printing of the Declaration of Independence 

  • The other document is a Declaration of Dependence signed by hundreds of Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War

The document will be on display at the New-York Historical Society from July 2 to July 7.

“Over a course of three days, in Nov. 1776, 700 Loyalist citizens came to a tavern to sign it,” Nina Nazionale, director of library curatorial affairs and research at the New-York Historical Society, said.

It will be the first time the document has seen the spotlight in more than 20 years, alongside a rare original printing of the Declaration of Independence, which was done in New York to spread the word about what went down in Philadelphia on July 4. Both are part of the Historical Society’s collection.

“We have some of the nation’s most important documents, as well as those representing the history of New York,” Nazionale said.

The documents will be displayed alongside a painting depicting the night a statue of King George III was pulled down by a crowd of revolutionaries on July 9, 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was first read to the troops at Bowling Green in downtown Manhattan. A surviving piece of that statue — the horse’s tail — will be on display.

The display will also include a rail from the original Federal Hall in Manhattan, along with a Bible and chair used during George Washington’s inauguration. 

As for the documents like the Loyalist petition, they don’t get out of storage often in order to conserve them. 

“We do keep it out of light as much as possible. That’s why it’s unusual for it to be on display,” Nazionale said. “We also keep it in environmentally controlled storage areas, so that means low humidity and low temperatures.” 

On July 4, a celebration at the Historical Society includes free admission for visitors ages 17 and under. Visitors will enjoy some 1776-era ice cream and meet historical interpreters dressed in period costume.

For more information, visit nyhistory.org.