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Historic Documents Auctioned: Declaration, Constitution, Emancipation Proclamation

1/22/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The New York auction "We the People: America at 250" features a 1776 broadside of the Declaration of Independence and Rufus King’s edited draft of the U.S. Constitution, both estimated at $3 million to $5 million.
The sale includes a signed Emancipation Proclamation and Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington, valued at $500,000 to $1 million.
Historian Harold Holzer emphasizes the items’ emotional significance and historical impact.

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Story summary

The New York auction "We the People: America at 250" features a 1776 broadside of the Declaration of Independence and Rufus King’s edited draft of the U.S. Constitution, both estimated at $3 million to $5 million.
The sale includes a signed Emancipation Proclamation and Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington, valued at $500,000 to $1 million.
Historian Harold Holzer emphasizes the items’ emotional significance and historical impact.