The story of the Declaration of Independence

Every year more than a million people troop into the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. to see the Declaration of Independence. It is perhaps this country's most famous document. Its 56 signers knew they were risking their lives by putting their names on it. But they believed so strongly in the cause of independence that they were willing to take the risk. Today's viewers may not be aware of the trials and tribulations that the document itself went through before arriving at its permanent home in 1952. It survived invasions, environmental dangers, even the threat of bombing. Now it serves as a constant reminder of the ideals that the United States is based on.