Recreating the First Printing of the Declaration

July 2, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the historic vote in the Second Continental Congress to declare independence from Great Britain. Two days after that vote, July 4, 1776, the first printed copies of what would come to be known as the Declaration of Independence were pulled from the press of 29-year-old John Dunlap, the official printer for Congress. Working through the night and with the assistance of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, Dunlap had the first 200 copies of the Declaration ready for dissemination by the morning of July 5. To celebrate the semiqunicentennial anniversary of this printing, Colonial Heritage Festival will hold a special event to recreate the activities of this historic night, and in so doing, create 200 copies of the most faithful reproduction of the original printing ever produced.

Explore the entries below to learn about the effort to create the most precise reproductions of this historic printing and to see how you can participate in this once-in-a-lifetime event.