Eleanor Finch
The US Constitution was written by Jacob Shallus, Assistant Clerk to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, in 1787. Shallus' 14-year-old trainee son, Francis, is thought to have written the calligraphic headings in the document. The font used in the US Constitution is a variant of English round-hand, known today as copperplate. It was written on four pieces of animal skin using iron gall ink and a quill, likely made from a goose.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jacob Shallus, a clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly |
| Writing instrument | A quill, likely a goose quill |
| Medium | Four pieces of animal skin |
| Ink | Iron gall ink |
| Font | Roundhand |
| Heading font | Calligraphy, possibly written by Shallus' 14-year-old trainee son, Francis |
| Similar modern fonts | Declaration Pro by P22 Type Foundry, Caslon |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution was handwritten, not typed
The US Constitution was handwritten by Jacob Shallus, a clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was not created using a font. Shallus penned the original copy of the Constitution, which took him several days to complete, and he charged $30 at the time, equivalent to about $880 today.
The document was written on four pieces of animal skin using iron gall ink and a quill, likely made from a goose. The style of handwriting used in the Constitution is known as "Roundhand," and it is a form of cursive writing. While there were other popular fonts at the time, such as Caslon, which was used by Benjamin Franklin in his print shop, the Constitution's unique style was created by Shallus's skilled hand.
The calligraphy of the US Constitution is so distinctive that it has sparked interest among those seeking to replicate it. Some have inquired about the specific font used, demonstrating a cultural phenomenon where we take written words for granted and assume they were mechanically produced. However, the US Constitution was a product of careful and skilled handwriting, not a font.
The calligraphic headings, such as "We the People" and "Article," may have been inserted by Shallus's 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. The unconventional backslant of these headings and the novice's inconsistency in the structure of certain letters support this contention. Nonetheless, the elegant swagger of the wavy t, h, and l, as well as the simpler Schwabacher-style W, contribute to the distinctive style of the document.
Today, there are fonts designed to mimic the calligraphy of the US Constitution, such as "We The People Upright" and "We The People Upright Bold." These fonts are available for personal use, education, and even for free use by public charities, museums, and libraries. However, it is important to recognize that the original document was not created using a font but rather through the meticulous work of a skilled calligrapher.
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Jacob Shallus was the calligrapher who penned the Constitution
The United States Constitution was handwritten and not created with any font. However, Jacob Shallus, a clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, penned the original copy of the Constitution. Shallus was born in 1750 to German immigrant parents who had settled in Pennsylvania in 1749. He married eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Melchior in 1771, and they had eight children. Shallus was a merchant in Philadelphia and served as a quartermaster in the First Pennsylvania Battalion during the Revolutionary War. He later resigned his commission and became a deputy commissary general for Pennsylvania.
Shallus was chosen to engross the Constitution due to his proximity to the convention's meeting place and the desire for speedy drafting. He was tasked with transcribing the final draft of the Constitution, which was approved by the delegates on September 15, 1787. Shallus completed the transcription on four sheets of parchment, measuring 28-3/4 inches by 23-5/8 inches, using a goose quill and black ink made of iron filings in oak gall. He wrote over 25,000 letters in nearly 4,500 words, finishing the arduous process on Sunday, September 16, 1787, just in time for the signing the next day. Shallus was paid $30 for his work, which would amount to around $880 in today's money.
The original handwritten document engrossed by Shallus is on display in the Rotunda of the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Shallus' name does not appear on the Constitution, but his identity as the penman was revealed in 1937 during an investigation to mark the 150th anniversary of the document. Shallus' contribution to the Constitution is indeed remarkable, and his masterpiece continues to be celebrated, especially during American holidays commemorating the nation's birth and independence.
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Shallus may have been assisted by his 14-year-old trainee son, Francis
The original copy of the United States Constitution was handwritten by Jacob Shallus, a clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Shallus was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, where he fought in Canada and served as a quartermaster for Pennsylvania's 1st Battalion. He also assisted in the outfitting of a privateering vessel called the Retrieve.
At the time of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Shallus was selected as the engrosser or penman for the Constitution. His proximity to the convention and the need for speedy drafting may have influenced this decision. Shallus was paid $30 for his work, which would be worth around $880 today.
While Shallus' name does not appear on the Constitution, his identity as the transcriber was revealed in an investigation conducted in 1937 for the 150th anniversary of the document. Shallus may have been assisted in this task by his 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. Shallus' military service and wartime reliability, as well as his role as Assistant Clerk, likely contributed to his selection for this important task.
The United States Constitution was not created using a font, as it was handwritten. However, calligraphy and other forms of hand printing were used, and similar fonts have been designed to mimic the writing on the document. One popular font at the time was Caslon, which was used by Benjamin Franklin in his print shop. Declaration Pro by P22 Type Foundry is a modern font that resembles the calligraphy in the Declaration of Independence.
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The calligrapher was paid $30, worth about $880 today
The US Constitution was handwritten by a professional calligrapher, Jacob Shallus, a clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Shallus charged $30 for his work, which took several days to complete. Accounting for inflation, this sum would be worth about $880 today.
The purchasing power of money changes over time due to inflation, which is the decrease in the value of a dollar relative to the prices of goods and services. This means that a dollar today can buy less than a dollar in the past. To calculate the inflation rate, economists use the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the prices of a basket of goods and services over time. The CPI data is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the CPI, $30 in 1787, the year the Constitution was written, is equivalent to about $790-$1,031 in 2025. This represents a cumulative price increase of 2,535.70%-3,338.70% over 230-238 years. The average inflation rate over this period was 1.43%-1.50% per year.
The inflation rate can vary depending on the country and the specific goods and services included in the CPI basket. For example, in the UK, £30 in 1787 would be equivalent to £4,478-£6,021 in 2025, a significantly larger increase than in the US.
It is worth noting that the specific goods and services included in the CPI may change over time, which can affect the calculated inflation rate. Additionally, the purchasing power of a dollar can vary depending on the specific location and the availability of goods and services.
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Similar fonts include Declaration Pro by P22 Type Foundry
The US Constitution was handwritten by a calligrapher, Jacob Shallus, and there was no font used in its creation. However, there are now fonts designed to mimic the calligraphy in the document, such as Declaration Pro by P22 Type Foundry.
P22 Type Foundry is a digital type foundry and letterpress printing studio based in Rochester, New York. The company was founded in 1994 in Buffalo, New York, by Richard Kegler and Carima El-Behairy. P22 is known for its type designs, which have appeared in films and on commercial products. The company's retail font collection includes historical letterforms inspired by art, history, and science, which were not previously available in digital form.
Declaration Pro is a script typeface with one style, available from Adobe Fonts for sync and web use. The font is similar to the calligraphy used in the US Constitution and was derived from the calligraphy in the Declaration of Independence. The package includes scanned signatures of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
In addition to Declaration Pro, P22 offers other curated collections, such as the Lanston Type Co. (LTC) and the Hamilton Wood Type Collection (HWT). These collections provide a range of unique and historical typefaces for personal and commercial use.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was written in a variant of English round-hand, today known as "copperplate". It is also referred to as Roundhand, of which there are many varieties.
The United States Constitution was engrossed by Jacob Shallus (1750-1796), Assistant Clerk to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
The document was written on four pieces of animal skin using iron gall ink and some kind of quill, likely a goose quill.
The calligraphic headings were likely inserted by Shallus' 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. The unconventional backslant of the headings suggests a novice's hand.
