The Dunlap broadside was the first published version of the Declaration of Independence connected with America250.
John Dunlap printed the broadsides in Philadelphia on the night of July 4, 1776, after Congress approved the final text. A broadside was a large single-sheet printing designed for distribution, display, or public reading. About 200 copies were produced, although the exact number is uncertain.
The Dunlap broadside carried the document's text but did not show the full set of handwritten signatures later seen on the parchment copy. John Hancock's name appeared in type, along with Charles Thomson's attestation. The copies were then sent to colonial governments, military leaders, and other destinations.
The later Goddard broadside, printed in 1777, listed the names of the signers. That later publication is why the two broadsides are sometimes confused. Surviving Dunlap copies are exceptionally rare historical artifacts.