WASHINGTON, DC – On the night of July 4, 1776, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap produced about 200 copies of the newly adopted Declaration of Independence. Today, only 26 of these Dunlap Broadsides survive, and one will be on display at the DAR Museum for a limited time. This very special loan item will be on display starting Thursday, May 26 through Saturday, July 9, 2016, as part of the DAR Museum’s exhibition Remembering the American Revolution: 1776-1890.

Members of the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia during the hot summer of 1776, decided a document was needed that declared the independence of the colonies from Great Britain. This document, approved by Congress on July 2, 1776, was sent to be type set and printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia, hence the name Dunlap Broadside. It is estimated that Dunlap printed 150-200 copies; one was entered into the Congressional Journal, one was sent over to King George III, and the rest were distributed to the colonies to be read to the public.

The Broadside, as well as two draft copies of the U.S. Constitution, both of which include handwritten notes, will be provided on loan from the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire, which is operated in partnership with the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire.

“We could not be more honored to accept these loan items from the American Independence Museum,” said Lynn Young, President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “To be able to share these rare, priceless pieces of Revolutionary history with our membership and the public is very exciting.”

The exhibition, along with these special loan items, is free and open to the public. However, the DAR Headquarters building, including the DAR Museum, will be closed to the public during the week of June 13-19 for the DAR annual convention, Continental Congress. During that time, only registered DAR members and guests are able to view the exhibit. The exhibit will reopen to the public on June 20. The DAR Museum will be closed for the Federal holiday on Monday, July 4, but visitors are encouraged to see the documents surrounding the Independence Day holiday before the Dunlap Broadside and draft copies of the U.S. Constitution return to the American Independence Museum after Saturday, July 9.

The DAR Museum exhibition, Remembering the American Revolution: 1776-1890, will remain open through September 3, 2016. The exhibition explores how people following the fight for independence preserved, made, and bought items in order to retain a connection to the war. More than 100 objects from the DAR Museum collection, and the many personal stories that accompany them, help visitors learn about the American Revolution in a whole new light.

Read the full news release for the Remembering the American Revolution: 1776-1890 exhibition here.

For more information about visiting the DAR Museum exhibit or to view an online exhibit of some of the Revolutionary War items on display, visit www.dar.org/RAR. 

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About the DAR Museum
The DAR Museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museum, tells the story of the American home from the 18th century through the early 20th century through objects, exhibitions, programming, and period rooms. The Museum supports the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution goals of historic preservation and education through collecting, preserving, and interpreting American decorative arts and material culture from the late 1700s to circa 1840. Learn more about the DAR Museum at www.dar.org/museum or from the Museum’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

About the American Independence Museum
Founded in 1991 with the strength and guidance of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, the Exeter Community and the State of New Hampshire, the American Independence Museum is a place where all can learn and celebrate what it took to create the freedoms that we as Americans continue to enjoy hundreds of years later. Learn more about the American Independence Museum at independencemuseum.org.