Declaration of Independence


Record of the Month!


To celebrate Independence Day, this month we are featuring a reproduction of the Declaration of Independence. While the Declaration of Independence is not part of the Licking County Records & Archives’ collection of historic county records, it had a strong influence on the establishment of Licking County’s government in 1808, as well as the laws and policies that would ultimately lead to the creation of the Licking County Records & Archives Center in 2008.   

Of the many principles outlined in the Declaration, none is more fundamental than that of a free and open government. Public records protect the rights of citizens by empowering them to hold their government accountable and enabling them to make informed decisions. One of the complaints against King George III of Great Britain named by the Founding Fathers was the following:

He has called together Legislative Bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

The Founding Fathers considered the necessity of collecting and preserving public records to be so important that the fact that King George III was forcibly separating them from their records warranted the attention of the world as evidence that he was a tyrant. 

If this information interests you or if you have any questions regarding the mission and collections of the Licking County Records & Archives Center, please contact us at 740-670-5121 or archives@lcounty.com.

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