Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor [When the Declaration, the Constitution and the Magna Carta were all REFUGEES!]

Library of Congress ^ | 2014? | Staff LoC

[SES1066]

As Nazi Germany threatened war in Europe, Britain made efforts to strengthen ties with the United States, which included hosting one of the largest foreign pavilions at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The pavilion’s centerpiece was Lincoln Cathedral’s Magna Carta, making its first appearance outside of Britain. ... When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, the Library evacuated Magna Carta, the Declaration, the Constitution, and other cherished treasures from its collections to Fort Knox, Kentucky.

[SES1066]

Adding to the bemusement is the namesake of Fort Knox, General Henry Knox (July 25, 1750 – October 25, 1806). In civilian life, he owned and operated a bookstore in Boston, and, with a strong interest in military matters, he joined a local militia artillery company.

Upon the British takeover of Boston in early 1775, He and his family abandoned the business and Knox volunteered to work with General Washington. His great feat of sledding 60 tons of heavy cannon, 300 miles from captured Fort Ticonderoga to Boston in 6 weeks, is what forced the British evacuation of Boston in early 1776.

General Knox became the first Secretary of War when President Washington took office in 1788. (Under the Articles of Confederation, Knox was the 2nd, after General Lincoln, to be the Army head from around 1785.)

[Bigg Red]

Thanks for posting this. I had never seen that story.

The story of Knox and his men moving that artillery is just incredible, especially considering the weather conditions they had to deal with. When men were iron....

[Spok]

I have read the Magna Carta. It’s written in English (sort of). What’s enlightening is that almost everything in our constitution is in it, just not as clearly or succinctly as stated by our founding fathers. Our founders were brilliant, but no less important is how educated they were. Looking at what our schools are turning out today, we are doomed.

[nicollo]

By the time it was sent to Ft. Knox, the Declaration was in horrid condition, and its evacuation served as an opportunity properly preserve it.

The primary source of deterioration was from a wet-pressing of it in the 1820s as part of the semicentennial celebrations of its signing (to distribute copies). Additionally, it was displayed in plain air at the State Department until 1921, when it was transferred to the Library of Congress and put under glass. When the librarians removed it from its mount in 1942 they discovered it had Scotch tape on it.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verner_W._Clapp#Preparation_and_storage_at_Ft._Knox

Photo taken in 1942 before restoration: