Jonah Patel
The original US Constitution was handwritten in calligraphy by Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk, over a weekend in 1787. Shallus' 14-year-old trainee son, Francis, may have contributed to the document as well, particularly in the calligraphic headings, which feature an unconventional backslant. The font used in the Constitution has been named Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand and resembles the American Scribe typeface. A digital version of the font, called We The People, is available for free for personal use and can be downloaded from dafont.com.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand |
| Transcribed by | Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk |
| Font style | Calligraphy |
| Font type | We The People Upright, We The People Upright Bold, and the original, backslanted We The People |
| Use cases | Free for personal use, and can be used by students, teachers, and educational institutions |
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What You'll Learn
- The font is called Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand
- The calligrapher was Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk
- The font We The People is based on the original document
- The font American Scribe resembles the handwriting in the constitution
- The font P22 Declaration is an exact copy, including the sizes
The font is called Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand
The United States Constitution was transcribed by hand onto parchment by Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk, over a weekend in 1787. Shallus was paid $30, a modest monthly wage at the time. The calligraphic headings, "We the People" and "Article", may have been inserted by Shallus's 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. The distinctive backslant of these headings and the elegant swagger of the wavy t, h and l suggest the hand of a novice.
The font used in the original Constitution document is called "Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand". This font was designed to resemble the handwriting of Gouverneur Morris, a Pennsylvania statesman and one of the authors of the United States Constitution. Morris was known for his elegant and distinctive handwriting, which was considered to be a form of calligraphy.
The "We the People" font, which is based on the calligraphic headings of the Constitution, is available for free for personal use and can be used by students, teachers, and educational institutions. This font captures the elegant swagger of the original document, including the wavy t, h and l, as well as the distinctive backslant. For designers using OpenType-aware applications, the typeface includes some Alternates, such as a Bickham-style W, two simpler forms of the A, and some ornamental flourishes.
The "We the People Upright" and "We the People Upright Bold" fonts also retain the distinctive style of the original Constitution font, with a slightly heavier weight that adds a bit of punch. Additionally, the "American Scribe" font was made to resemble the handwriting in the Constitution, and the "P22 Declaration" font was designed to be an absolute copy, including the sizes. These fonts, however, are commercial and require a financial deal for use.
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The calligrapher was Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk
The original United States Constitution was transcribed by hand, in calligraphy, onto parchment by Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk, over a single weekend in 1787. Shallus was paid $30, a modest monthly wage at the time. The font used in the document is known as "Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand".
Shallus' biographer, Arthur Plotnik, in his 1987 book 'The Man Behind the Quill', notes that the calligraphic headings, 'We the People' and 'Article', may have been inserted by Shallus' 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. Plotnik supports this idea by pointing out that "the manner in which the 'Article' headings are squeezed into the space Shallus allowed for them suggests a second hand—and perhaps not a very experienced one". He also notes that there is perhaps a novice's inconsistency in the structure of the letter 'n' between that used for 'done' and those used for 'In Witness'.
The font used in the Constitution has been replicated in digital form, with the ''We the People' font available for use on MyFonts.com and dafont.com. This font includes some alternates, such as a Bickham-style 'W' and the letters 't', 'h', and 'n' with added flourishes. The full phrase 'We the People' has been placed at the trademark keystroke and can be accessed easily on a Mac or Windows computer. The font also includes some ornamental flourishes and a round middle dot/decimal point.
Additionally, the 'We The People Upright' and 'We The People Upright Bold' fonts retain the distinctive style of the original while adding some weight for emphasis. The original, backslanted 'We The People' font is free for personal use and can be used by students, teachers, and educational institutions.
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The font We The People is based on the original document
The United States Constitution was written by hand and is not associated with any one font. However, the famous opening phrase "We the People" is written in a distinctive style, with an elegant backslant. This has been recreated as a font by K-Type, and it is available for free for personal use, as well as for use by students, teachers, and educational institutions. The font is called "We The People" and includes some alternates, such as a Bickham-style W, and the letters t, h, and n with flourishes. The full phrase "We the People" can be accessed on a Mac by Shift Option 2, or Alt 0153 on Windows. The licensed typeface is also available from k-type.com and includes two additional fonts with a vertical aspect.
The original document was transcribed by hand onto parchment by Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk, in 1787. Shallus' biographer, Arthur Plotnik, suggests that the distinctive "We the People" heading may have been written by Shallus' 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. The heading's unconventional backslant and the structure of the letter "n" at the end of the document suggest a novice's hand.
The font "We The People" is based on this original heading, with its unique style and elegant swagger. The font has been designed to mimic the calligraphy of the original document, with its wavy t, h, and l, which the K-Type font extends to the b, f, and k. The font also includes ornamental flourishes and square, calligraphic punctuation marks.
The "We The People" font has two variations: "We The People Upright" and "We The People Upright Bold", which retain the distinctive style while adding a heavier weight. There are also two additional fonts available with a vertical aspect, which may be more suitable for graphic design layouts.
The United States Constitution has inspired several other fonts as well, such as American Scribe and P22 Declaration, which are made to resemble the handwriting in the document. These fonts, however, are commercial and require a license for use.
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The font American Scribe resembles the handwriting in the constitution
The original United States Constitution was handwritten in calligraphy and is transcribed onto parchment by Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk, over a weekend in 1787. Shallus' biographer, Arthur Plotnik, notes that the calligraphic headings, "We the People" and "Article", may have been inserted by Shallus' 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. The distinctive backslant of the headings and the elegant swagger of the wavy t, h, and l are notable features of the document's script.
While the exact font used in the Constitution may be difficult to determine, there are modern-day fonts that resemble the handwriting in the document. One such font is called "American Scribe". This font is designed to mimic the handwriting in the Constitution and is often used in graphic design applications. It is a commercial font, meaning it requires a license to use.
Another font that closely resembles the handwriting in the Constitution is called "P22 Declaration". This font is designed to be an absolute copy of the Constitution's script, including the sizes. However, like American Scribe, P22 Declaration is also a commercial font.
For those seeking a free alternative, the "US Declaration" font is a suitable option for personal use. This font is designed to mimic the handwriting in the Constitution and can be exported as a PDF to be emailed. While it is free for personal use, the designer requests an email for commercial applications.
It is worth noting that the "We the People" font family, which includes "We the People Upright" and "We the People Upright Bold", also captures the distinctive style of the Constitution's script. The original, backslanted "We the People" font is free for personal use and can be freely used by students, teachers, and educational institutions.
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The font P22 Declaration is an exact copy, including the sizes
The United States Constitution was written by hand in calligraphy, in a script that has come to be known as "Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand". The exact font used in the original document is P22 Declaration, which was conceived to be an exact copy of the script used, including the sizes.
The original document was transcribed onto parchment by Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk, over a weekend in 1787. Shallus was paid $30, a modest monthly wage at the time. The calligraphic headings, "We the People" and "Article", may have been inserted by Shallus's 14-year-old trainee son, Francis. The distinctive backslant of these headings and the elegant swagger of the wavy t, h and l suggest the hand of a novice.
The font P22 Declaration is an exact copy of the script used in the original document, including the sizes. This makes it a popular choice for designers looking to replicate the look and feel of the Constitution. However, P22 Declaration is a commercial font, which may be a concern for those on a budget.
Fortunately, there are free alternatives available, such as the font "US Declaration". This font is free for personal use, although the designer requests an email for commercial use. Another option is the "We the People" font, which is also free for personal use and can be used by students, teachers, and educational institutions. This font family includes "We The People Upright" and "We The People Upright Bold", which retain the distinctive style while adding a heavier weight.
For those who find the backslant of the "We the People" font awkward or unpleasant, a licensed typeface is available that includes two additional fonts with a vertical aspect that may be more suitable for graphic design layouts.
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Frequently asked questions
The font used in the US Constitution is called "Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania's hand".
The US Constitution was transcribed by Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania Assistant Clerk, in 1787.
Yes, the font "American Scribe" resembles the handwriting in the US Constitution. Another similar font is "P22 Declaration", which was conceived to be an exact copy, including the sizes.
The font "We The People" is similar to the font used in the US Constitution. It is free for personal use and can be used by students, teachers, and educational institutions.
