Come see Georgia's copy of the Declaration of Independence

In honor of Georgia's birthday on Friday, Feb. 12, the Georgia Archives will display the state's copy of the Declaration of Independence for the public.

Jill Sweetapple, a reference archivist at the Georgia Archives, said visitors do not need to obtain a researcher card and can stop by the archives building in Morrow this Friday for a viewing of the historic document from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Georgia's copy of the declaration was officially entered into the records Mar. 2, 1777, after the Continental Congress ordered that copies be printed and sent to each of the 13 states.

Today, all of Georgia's official documents — including the state's 1788 ratification of the U.S. Constitution — are kept in a high security vault at the Georgia Archives. According to Sweetapple, constant temperature and humidity ensure their long-term survival.

Not only will the state's copy of the Declaration of Independence be on display, Sweetapple said, but also the public will also get the chance to view the Royal Charter that made Georgia a colony in 1733.

According to Sweetapple, the documents are rarely displayed because exposure to light is harmful. In fact, she said, the last time the state's copy of the declaration or the Royal Charter were available to the public was last Georgia Day.

"We try to protect them as much as we can," she said. "After all, there's only one of them."