John Dunlap printed the first published copies of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Dunlap was an Irish-born Philadelphia printer who had secured a printing contract with the Continental Congress. After Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, 1776, President of Congress John Hancock ordered Dunlap to produce broadside copies for distribution. A broadside was a single large printed sheet intended for public display or quick circulation.
Dunlap and his staff worked through the night of July 4 to set the type and print the copies. Historians estimate that roughly 200 Dunlap broadsides were produced, although the exact original number is unknown. These sheets were sent to colonial governments, military leaders, and other recipients so the announcement could spread rapidly.
The Dunlap broadside is different from the parchment copy most people recognize today. The parchment version was prepared later for signatures, and it contains the names of the delegates who signed. The first printed broadside did not list the signers individually.