My Country 'Tis of Thee Manuscript Found

It was reported on CNN today that a rare and original manuscript of the America (My Country ‘tis of Thee) was found by a flea market shopper in New York. The flea marketer purchased a framed picture for $10 and later found the original manuscript behind the picture.

America was written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831 and was first heard at a church in Newton, Massachusetts. Later, the song was sung by all school students, so much so, that as I was reading the article, the song became stuck in my head and I started to sing out loud. The flea market shopper sold the manuscript to Keya Morgan who is an art collector and handwriting expert.