Declaration of Independence Paper

A number of sites on the Internet claim that the Declaration of Independence was written on paper made from hemp. As far as we know, this is not true.

The finished document signed by the delegates to the Continental Congress was engrossed on parchment, which is made from animal skin. Thomas Jefferson's original "Rough Draft of the Declaration" is now in the Jefferson Papers collection at the Library of Congress. According to sources at the Library of Congress, analysis by paper conservators has determined that the paper is mostly likely Dutch in origin. While hemp was commonly used to make paper in Southern Europe during this time, the Dutch were much more likely to use flax or linen rags.

Further Sources

• Library of Congress. Thomas Jefferson Papers. Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence.
• National Archives. Charters of Freedom: The Declaration of Independence. http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration.html
• Look for further sources in the Thomas Jefferson Portal.