Which newspaper first published the Declaration of Independence, a source behind America250’s founding story?

The Pennsylvania Evening Post first published the Declaration of Independence on July 6, 1776.

The newspaper printed the document two days after the Second Continental Congress adopted it. This early publication helped circulate the revolutionary announcement beyond the delegates gathered in Philadelphia and made its arguments available to a wider public.

The Declaration also appeared in printed broadsides, most famously the Dunlap broadsides produced for distribution throughout the colonies. Those broadsides were separate from the newspaper publication and were sent to military leaders, colonial communities, and overseas locations.

The Pennsylvania Evening Post should not be confused with the Pennsylvania Gazette, another important colonial newspaper associated with Philadelphia. The newspaper’s early publication is one of the concrete links between the 1776 founding event and the historical story celebrated by America250.