In 1776 one of the greatest documents in history was created. The Declaration of Independence announced the intent of the British colonies in North America to separate from Great Britain. This document has also been put forth as an example of hemp use in the Americas at the birth of our nation. However this assertion is not correct.
The original Declaration of Independence is actually engrossed on parchment, which is animal skin, treated with lime, and stretched. The rough draft of the document, which is in the Jefferson Papers collection at the Library of Congress, has been analyzed as well. Its origin is most likely Dutch. At the time, the Dutch used flax or linen rags to make paper.
While it is true that hemp was commonly used in the colonies, it was not used for this document, or the Constituion which is also on parchment.
-Professor Walter
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