Dunlap broadsides

Dunlap broadsides. These are the first official printed versions of the United States Declaration of Independence, produced in Philadelphia on the night of July 4–5, 1776. Printed by John Dunlap, the official printer to the Continental Congress, these broadsides were created to rapidly disseminate the text of the declaration to the Thirteen Colonies and the Continental Army. Their immediate production and distribution were critical acts of public communication and political defiance against Great Britain.

History and production

Following the adoption of the declaration by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the manuscript was entrusted to John Dunlap for printing. Dunlap, an Irish immigrant who operated his press at Second Street in Philadelphia, worked through the night to set the type and produce an estimated 200 copies. This first printing preceded the creation of the iconic engrossed copy signed by the delegates, known as the Matlack or parchment copy. The text was based on the "fair copy" prepared by the drafting committee, which included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. The urgency of the task was driven by the need to inform the public and the military of the revolutionary government's decisive action, especially with the ongoing New York and New Jersey campaign and the threat from the Royal Navy.

Physical characteristics

The broadsides are single-sheet folios, typically measuring about 15 by 18 inches. They were printed on a variety of paper stocks available to Dunlap at the time. The text is set in a single column with a large, bold "In Congress, July 4, 1776" heading, followed by the declaration's text in a smaller typeface. Unlike the later engrossed copy, the Dunlap broadsides lack the signatures of the delegates; only the names of John Hancock, as President of the Continental Congress, and Charles Thomson, as Secretary of the Continental Congress, appear in print at the conclusion. The typography and formatting are utilitarian, designed for clarity and speed of production rather than ceremonial presentation.

Distribution and survival

Copies were swiftly dispatched on July 5 and 6 by riders on horseback to the assemblies of the various colonies, to commanding officers of the Continental Army such as George Washington, and to public reading sites. George Washington famously ordered a copy read to his troops in New York City on July 9, 1776. Many copies were posted in public squares, read aloud in taverns, and reprinted in local newspapers like the Pennsylvania Evening Post. Given their ephemeral nature as public notices, most were discarded, worn out, or destroyed. The survival of any copies into the modern era is considered remarkable, and each known extant broadside has a unique provenance tracing its journey from 1776.

Significance and legacy

The Dunlap broadsides represent the moment the American Revolution moved from a congressional resolution to a publicly declared national cause. They served as the primary vehicle for announcing independence before the widespread circulation of newspapers. As the first tangible, mass-produced artifacts of American nationhood, they hold immense historical and symbolic value. Their creation marked a seminal event in the history of political communication and print culture in North America. The text they carried inspired supporters of independence, clarified the colonies' position to foreign powers like the Kingdom of France, and defined the ideological arguments of the rebellion for a continental audience.

Known copies and locations

Only 26 complete copies of the Dunlap broadside are known to exist as of the 21st century. These are held primarily by major institutions and a few private collectors. Significant repositories include the Library of Congress, which holds two copies, the National Archives and Records Administration, and Yale University via the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Other copies are located at institutions such as the American Philosophical Society, the New York Public Library, and the University of Virginia. Internationally, one copy is held at the The National Archives in Kew, London, and another is in the collection of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast. The most recent discovery was made in 1989 by a man at a flea market in Adamstown, Pennsylvania, behind a framed painting; that copy was sold at Sotheby's and is now owned by Norman Lear and David Hayden.