John Dunlap printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence for the Continental Congress.
Dunlap was an Irish-born American printer working in Philadelphia. After Congress approved the Declaration's text on July 4, 1776, it ordered printed copies for distribution to colonial governments, military commanders, and other officials.
The resulting sheets are known as the Dunlap broadsides. They were among the earliest public printings of the Declaration and helped spread Congress's announcement beyond the meeting room. Only a limited number of the original broadsides survive today.
Dunlap should not be confused with Robert Bell, who printed the first edition of Thomas Paine's Common Sense. Benjamin Franklin was also a famous printer, but Dunlap handled this particular congressional printing assignment. Dunlap later served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.