Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is an item found in the ruins of D.C's National Archives. It can be recovered by the Lone Wanderer for the Rivet City historian Abraham Washington.

Background
The Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announcing that the thirteen American colonies (then at war with Great Britain) were no longer a part of the British Empire. The colonies became one sovereign state in the form of the United States of America. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The birthday of the United States of America is called Independence Day which is celebrated on July 4, the day the wording of the Declaration was approved by Congress.

Location
In the National Archives' Strongroom, in a safe in the back of the room where one encounters Button Gwinnett.

Related quests

 * Stealing Independence

Bugs

 * If one gives Abraham Washington a copy of the Declaration and take this item afterward, it will be stuck in the player character's inventory, weighing them down.
 * It can, however, be removed using the console command, or with the command to remove the "quest item" flag.
 * It seems if one takes the Bill of Rights from the National Archives and gives it to Abraham before they give him the Declaration of Independence, the game will assume the player has already given him the Declaration, and he won't accept it. Sydney will not stop following the Lone Wanderer if they have the document in their inventory, so one will either have to kill her or, if on PC, use console commands.