This September, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library (BHML) is connecting our maritime history to Boothbay’s working waterfront as part of Library Card Sign-Up Month and BHML’s America 250 programming, supported by a grant from the Maine State Library.

Throughout September and October, Boothbay Region seafarers and their families who sign up for a library card, renew their card, or show their card, can enter a raffle to win one of two Spinlock DURO Front Closure 170N PFDs and an ACR ResQLink AIS Personal Locator Beacon kit.

Nearly 250 years ago, a New England mariner carried a copy of the Declaration of Independence across the Atlantic aboard an American privateer. The Dalton, a privateer from Newburyport, Massachusetts, commissioned by the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War carried 120 men and sailed across the Atlantic in 1776. Historians believe someone aboard acquired a copy of the Declaration of Independence printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, when the vessel stopped near Portsmouth before crossing the Atlantic. (The National Archives, UK)

On Christmas Eve 1776, the British warship HMS Raisonable pursued the Dalton for seven hours near Cape Finisterre, Spain, before capturing the vessel. Among the papers British Captain Thomas Fitzherbert sent to the Admiralty were the Dalton’s privateering commission, instructions from Congress, and something he described simply as “another paper.” That paper was a copy of the Declaration of Independence. (The National Archives, UK)

There it remained for nearly 250 years. In May 2026, volunteer Michael Scurr rediscovered the document while cataloging Royal Navy correspondence for The National Archives’ own America 250 project. It is the only known copy of the Declaration captured during military action. (The National Archives, UK)

“The story of the Dalton literally takes the Declaration to sea,” said BHML Executive Director Joanna. “In Boothbay Harbor, where our maritime traditions remain very much alive, it gives us a wonderful way to connect our nation’s history with the fishermen who continue to make their living on the water today.”

September is nationally recognized as Library Card Sign-Up Month, an initiative of the American Library Association. The seafarers raffle is open through Oct. 31. Visit BHML during regular hours to sign up for a library card and enter.