Dunlap broadside

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Yale University's copy of the Dunlap broadside [1]

The Dunlap broadsides were the first published copies of the United States Declaration of Independence, printed on the night of July 4, 1776, by John Dunlap of Philadelphia. It is unknown exactly how many broadsides were originally printed, but the number is estimated at about 200.

1 Printing
2 Surviving copies
3 References
4 Further reading

[edit] Printing

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[edit] Surviving copies

As of 1989, only 24 copies of the Dunlap broadside were known to exist, until a flea market shopper bought a framed painting for four dollars. While inspecting a tear in the lining behind the painting, the owner discovered a folded Dunlap broadside. This 25th copy of the Dunlap broadside was authenticated by Sotheby's and an independent expert. In June 2000, Norman Lear partnered with David Hayden to purchase the document at an online Sotheby's auction. They paid $8.14 million. Since then Lear has toured the document around the United States with the Independence Road Trip and Declare Yourself.

Of the 25 surviving copies of the Dunlap broadside, 21 copies belong to universities (The Lilly Library at Indiana University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, two copies at the University of Virginia, and Williams College), historical societies, museums (e.g. the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire), public libraries and city halls. The remaining four are in private hands, although promised to public collections.

[edit] References

Boyd, Julian P. "The Declaration of Independence: The Mystery of the Lost Original". Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 100, number 4 (October 1976) , 438–467.
Ritz, Wilfred J. "From the Here of Jefferson's Handwritten Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence to the There of the Printed Dunlap Broadside". Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 116, number 4 (October 1992), 499–512. Ritz speculates that, before the famous broadside, Dunlap also printed rough drafts of the Declaration for the perusal of Congress, which were destroyed to maintain secrecy.