The first printed edition of the Declaration of Independence was the Dunlap broadside, an important early record connected to America250.
Philadelphia printer John Dunlap produced the broadside shortly after Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. The single-sheet printing allowed copies to be sent to colonial governments, military leaders, and the public. About 200 copies are believed to have been printed, though fewer than 30 are known to survive.
The broadside did not contain the later handwritten signatures. Those signatures were added to the engrossed parchment, whose principal signing began on August 2. The printed edition instead presented the adopted text for rapid distribution.
It is called the Dunlap broadside after its printer and its format. It should not be confused with Thomas Jefferson’s original draft, the engrossed parchment, or later pamphlet editions. Together, these versions show how the Declaration moved from congressional debate to public proclamation.