Rescuing the Declaration of Independence: How We Almost Lost the Words that Built America

In the name of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Stephen had to save it!

Today, the Declaration of Independence is one of the most heavily guarded treasures of the United States of America, but during the War of 1812 it would have been destroyed if not for a man whose name and story have nearly been forgotten by time. . . .

Stephen Pleasonton knew paper. He spent his days reading and writing letters, organizing files, and recording the recordables. However, none of that prepared him for the urgent message he received from his boss alerting him that the British army was on its way to the capital. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and numerous other documents that Stephen was entrusted with were all in danger! It was up to him to get our nation’s most cherished and priceless artifacts safely out of Washington. But how would a lowly clerk manage that?

Award-winning journalist Anna Crowley Redding and Sibert Honor illustrator Edwin Fotheringham bring to life this riveting true story about how Stephen Pleasonton saved the words that built America.