John Dunlap printed about 200 copies in the first broadside run of the Declaration of Independence.
After Congress approved the text on July 4, a handwritten copy was sent to Dunlap’s Philadelphia printing shop. He worked through the night to produce broadsides—large single-sheet prints intended for distribution to officials, communities, and military leaders.
These early prints are known as Dunlap broadsides. They were produced before the later parchment copy was engrossed and signed. The broadside wording also differs in small ways from the formal parchment version, including the title and some details of presentation.
Only 26 Dunlap broadsides are known to survive today. Their rarity makes them exceptionally valuable historical artifacts, but the original production run was much larger. The surviving copies preserve the first widely distributed printed form of the Declaration.