One of 25 surviving copies of a rare broadside of the U.S. Declaration of Independence will be on display at Anderson High School. On Friday, Feb. 5, from 5 to 7 pm, you can view this historic document for free at the high school. Fifth graders from Pillow Elementary have also been invited to attend a viewing.
A broadside is large piece of paper printed on only one side. The broadside being displayed is one of about 200 printed copies of the then-newly drafted Declaration of Independence. It was printed in the Philadelphia printing shop of a young Irish immigrant named John Dunlap on July 4, 1776. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were reportedly close at hand to supervise the printing and distribution of the documents. After the Dunlap broadsides were made, they were rushed across the 13 colonies over the next two days, including to George Washington, who instructed the document be read aloud to the troops.
