National Archives identifies 27th surviving Declaration of Independence broadside

The National Archives in London has identified its copy of the Declaration of Independence, known as the Baltimore Dunlap, as the 27th surviving example of the original Dunlap broadside. Printed by John Dunlap in Philadelphia on the night of July 4, 1776, these broadsides were single-sheet documents intended for public reading. The London copy had previously been excluded from the known list of 26 survivors because its imprint incorrectly listed “Baltimore” instead of Philadelphia, suggesting it was a later reprint.

Specialists at the archive used heritage science and feature-matching algorithms to confirm its authenticity. By comparing high-resolution images, researchers found that all 11 damaged metal type flaws present in the known Philadelphia broadsides were also present in the Baltimore copy.

Historically, news of the Declaration of Independence took months to reach Great Britain. Upon its arrival in August 1776, the document triggered a wide range of reactions in England, from sarcasm in magazines to fears among merchants of a ruinous civil war. King George III initially remained optimistic that military forces stationed in America would quell the rebellion.