John Dunlap produced about 200 printed broadsides of the Declaration of Independence.
After Congress approved the document on July 4, 1776, a handwritten copy was sent to Dunlap’s Philadelphia printing shop. He worked through the night to create copies for distribution. These sheets became known as the Dunlap broadsides and are the first printed editions of the Declaration.
Copies were sent to the thirteen colonies, General George Washington and his troops, and other destinations in Britain and Europe. The broadside presented the declaration as an official congressional act and allowed it to circulate far more quickly than handwritten copies could have.
The original printer’s source copy has not survived, and the exact number produced is usually given as about 200. A small number of Dunlap broadsides remain, making them among the most valuable surviving documents associated with the American Revolution.