Rare Declaration of Independence Copy Found in UK Archives

A volunteer at Britain's National Archives discovered a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence in an uncatalogued box, the only known example outside the US. The find coincides with America's 250th anniversary and debates over national narratives. The White House issued a 162-page critique of the Smithsonian's American History museum for insufficient patriotism. Artists and scholars are questioning symbols like the Statue of Liberty and surveying 250 years of American architecture. An essay in Aeon argues that the craving for handmade objects is a bid for agency in a world of cheap copies. In San Francisco, a "trashy" Dracula ballet attracted audiences in corsets and top hats, described as a "Rocky Horror" redux audience strategy.