John Dunlap produced about 200 broadside copies of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Dunlap was a Philadelphia printer who worked quickly after Congress approved the Declaration's wording on July 4. He printed the text overnight as large single-sheet broadsides, which could be distributed to colonial governments, military leaders, newspapers, and the public.
These early printed copies are known as the Dunlap broadsides. The original manuscript or source copy used at his shop has not survived. About 26 Dunlap broadsides are known to exist today, making them among the most important surviving printed artifacts of the American Revolution.
The broadsides were not the same as the famous parchment copy signed by delegates. The parchment was engrossed later, probably by congressional clerk Timothy Matlack, and most signatures were added on August 2. Dunlap's printing helped spread the Declaration's news rapidly while the Revolution was still underway.