and how you communicate as a person, how you carry yourself as a person. every president has failed in all five of those. don't be too flustered by any particular failure. it's like to give a baseball. a 300 batting average will get you in the hall of fame. learn from your failures and work with others to succeed. >> i would say that the problems are more difficult than i imagined them to be. the responsibility are greater than i imagined them to be and there are greater limitations upon our ability to bring about a favorable result than i had imagined them to be. i think that's probably true of anyone who becomes president because there is such a difference tween those who advise or speak or legislate and the man who must select from the various alternatives proposed and say that this shall be the will of the united states. it's much easier to make the speech is that it is to finally make the judgment. unfortunately, your advisors are frequently divided. if you take the wrong course and on occasion i have, the president bears the burden and responsibility quite rightly. the advisors may move on to new advisors.

>> american history tv is on the university of virginia to take a look at one of the largest collections of materials related to the declaration of independence. it was written by thomas jefferson, the creator of the university. >> we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by the creator to certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. we are in the declaration gallery in the special collections library at the university of virginia. this gallery houses what we consider the best collection of documents and printings related to the american declaration of independence. it is the founding document of the analysis of america written by the founder of the university of virginia, thomas jefferson. it is a question -- as you enter the gallery, you will see the key item in the collection, something that took mr. smalls quite a few years before you get a chance to acquire it. this is one of 26 known copies of the very first printing of the declaration of independence printed on the evening of july 4, 1776, in philadelphia by prichard john dunlap.

it really is the key printing of american history. we are not quite sure how many copies were printed. that's upwards of 400 sheets broadside. 26 or bind, and interestingly enough, two of the 20's of copies are here -- two of the 26 copies are here. you can trace its ownership acted early 19th century owned by a man named tobias leer, who was george washington's last known executive secretary. the purpose of the dunlap broadside print on the evening of july or it was to disseminate the news as quickly as possible throughout the 13 colonies. so copies were sent on horseback far and wide to government representatives, and each colony, so the news could be read aloud and reprinted and spread by any means possible. once the news arrived in various cities in the now united states, the text of the declaration was

reprinted in berries forms as separate -- was reprinted in various forms, and periodicals both here, and eventually in great britain. for example, this broadside was printed in salem, massachusetts after the news had arrived there later in july 1776. and here, in a newspaper issued an extraordinary issue, special stock press a dish in of the new hampshire gazette printed in exit her, new hampshire dated july 16, 1776, is a test of the

declaration. so important that it could not wait for the next issue of the paper to be published. and of course, this was -- the news was sent to great britain and arrive there definitely august of 1776. the first running of the text in london was in this magazine, an issue of the gym's magazine published in august 1776 -- of the gentleman's magazine published in august 1776. of course, the issue had developed over more than a decade's time. in england, there were a great many political pamphlets published already. so many english support of the american cause, so the reaction could be best described as mixed. now, i would like to show you the most significant manuscripts and albert's collection. perhaps the most significant one is this letter here by caesar

rodney, a delegate from delaware. it is the only letter that i know of signed by a delegate who attended the convention, inside the declaration -- and signed the declaration dated from philadelphia on july 4, 1776, and yes, it does discuss the declaration of independence. he played a key role in the decision for american independence. he went through a rainstorm 80 miles philadelphia and got there just in time to cast his vote, which was to approve independence. and then, he is writing on the evening of july 4, where he's described what he has done, and

then goes on to say that the news will not be printed and disseminated in what he calls handbills, meaning broadside. we have a facsimile of the writing desk that thomas jefferson used in philadelphia in june of july 1776 to right -- write this draft of the declaration of independence. we do not have the original desk. you can see that in the smithsonian institution in washington. but we do have a very interesting letter that tells us what jefferson did with the desk. and this letter is here. the letter that you wrote to his granddaughter in 1825. she is recently married and moved to boston. unfortunately, on the way there, some of their furniture was lost

in a shipwreck. jefferson is writing his granddaughter to console her on the loss and saying, perhaps i can help her place your furniture by offering you the desk in which i wrote the declaration of independence? sophie sent that to her. she kept it in the family for a while before donating it to the people of the united states. now, this volume is one of several in albert's collection that contains sets of documents signed by 56 men who signed the original declaration of independence. it is long been a collector's americana for complete sets of documents, with autographs of all 56 signers of the declaration. about 40 such sets exist, most

of them in institutions. here in this opening, we can see on the left hand side, and original document and 7078 signed by john penn -- document in 1778 signed by john penn. i think it is important to realize that after signing the declaration in 1776, the delegates, and fact, many americans were in by no means say, they still have to fight a war to ratify that decision and achieve their independence. not only were british troops there in fighting the colonies, but many of the patriots's films -- friends and neighbors became bitter enemies come in the delegates at sign the declaration were basically committing treason. and some of their lives were really in danger. let me take you into the next room in the declaration gallery. and, i think it is important also to realize that in the late

18th century, the declaration did not have quite the significance that we placed on it today. it really wasn't until the early 19th century when a new generation was beginning to reflect on the achievements of the previous generation in forming the united states that it became more interested in the declaration, more reverence of its achievement of their ancestors, and more willing to commemorate that achievement. for example, it wasn't until 1818 that the first facsimile reproduction of the declaration of independence was created. this is an engraving done in 1818. it is not an exact facsimile. when highlighted, mr. small's collection -- we not only have

this 1818 engraving, but we have the subscription book that the publisher of the engraving carried with him as he toward the united states seeking subscriptions to his print. in planning his subscription campaign, he did a very shrewd thing. he started by approaching who else the thomas jefferson. thomas jefferson was the first person to find this book to pledge to purchase a copy of the print. the next signature is james madison. the other signature is john quincy adams -- the third signature is john quincy adams, the president at that time, and so on. as the publisher carried the subscription book around the united states, he could show people what are you subscribe to the print, and encouraged them, therefore, to purchase the wrong copy.

almost immediately, another publisher got the idea to prepare a competing print of the declaration of independence. so, this one was issued also in 1818 by -- and here, he has added illustrations, also with more exact facsimile of the original document. one interesting feature of this print, as you can see, george washington is at the top. john hancock to the left. and then thomas jefferson. washington was the first president of the united states. jefferson was the third. where is president numbered two, john adams -- as president

number two, john adams? key is not there -- he is not there. that was a mistake of mr. bent. here is the original letter written by john adams to john bent complaining about the omission. when he received it, was horrified to find that his portrait was missing from the print. therefore, he returned it to john been along with this letter saying i'm returning this. please do not send another copy. in 1823, perhaps most important facsimile reproduction of the declaration of independence was issued. this is the so-called stone broadside. this print was actually taken directly from the original many script -- manuscript that is now on display at the national archives. if you have seen the original, it is quite faded. one of the reasons it is fated -- faded was because of the

treatment when it was prepared. it was dampened and pressed against the metal plate to transfer some of the ink from the original. therefore, fortunately, a damaged the original -- unfortunately, it damaged the original. mr. small's copy is a very important copy of this facsimile it is the copy that was given to general lafayette during his 1820 44 of the united states. -- during his 1824 tour of the united states. this should really be taken with a grain of salt if you read the accounts of the continental congress as their debating the declaration. some of the members who eventually signed the documents were not in fact president. they were not even related to

the continental congress at the time. in some respects, every creation, but not an actual representation of the scene. if you see broadsides or print that appear to be the declaration of independence, it is a good idea to look a little more carefully because there are a number of examples that are using the theme of the decoration of independence in a different way. this is a declaration printed in charleston, south carolina late in 1860. it is really a declaration of succession. declaration of independence from the american union. here we have the text of the

ordinance of succession, and also the succession convention secession have the convention, the names of the delegates who signed it. we are extremely grateful to albert small for donating his important collection to the university of virginia. it is of great importance to us because thomas jefferson was the founder of our you've earnestly -- of our university. wasuniversity of virginia one of the things he wanted to be remembered for. the declaration of independence was another. >> we are at the rotunda at the universif