John Dunlap produced the first 200 broadside copies of the Declaration of Independence used in America250’s historical story.
Dunlap was the printer of the Pennsylvania Packet, and Congress commissioned him to print the newly approved Declaration in 1776. These sheets became known as the Dunlap broadsides and were distributed to officials, military leaders, the colonies, and locations in Europe.
The broadsides were not the same as the famous engrossed parchment copy now displayed at the National Archives. The engrossed version was handwritten on parchment and signed later, while the Dunlap copies were printed quickly so the Declaration could circulate publicly.
This printing effort helped transform a congressional decision into a widely communicated political announcement. It also explains why early copies can differ in appearance and wording from the formal parchment document most people recognize.