Omar Bennett
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America are considered the bedrock of the American Charters of Freedom. The Declaration of Independence was finalised on July 4, 1776, and signed by representatives from all 13 colonies on August 2. The Constitution was written later, from May 25 to September 17, 1787.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, the Constitution in 1787 |
| Date signed | The Declaration of Independence was signed on 2nd August 1776, the Constitution on 17th September 1787 |
| Number of amendments | The Declaration of Independence has none, the Constitution originally had 12 |
| Purpose | The Declaration of Independence was a statement of freedom from British rule, the Constitution formed the federal government and set the laws of the land |
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What You'll Learn
- The Declaration of Independence was signed by the majority of delegates on August 2, 1776
- The Constitution was signed in 1787
- The Declaration of Independence was first published as a broadside by John Dunlap
- The Constitution was first printed by Dunlap and Claypoole
- The Declaration of Independence was signed in the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall)
The Declaration of Independence was signed by the majority of delegates on August 2, 1776
The Constitution was signed in 1787, 11 years after the Declaration of Independence. Dunlap and Claypoole printed the text of the Constitution and the list of signers in the September 19, 1787, issue of the Pennsylvania Packet. The first newspaper printings of the Constitution were on September 19, 1787, and included a list of all the signers.
The Declaration of Independence was the first in a new genre of declarations of independence that announced the creation of new states. Both documents were signed in the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall).
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The Constitution was signed in 1787
The Declaration of Independence came before the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence was signed on 2nd August 1776, although some sources suggest that signatures were added as late as 1781. The Constitution was signed in 1787, on 17th September, following the Constitutional Convention which took place from 25th May to 17th September. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America form the bedrock of the American Charters of Freedom, a group of documents which also includes the Bill of Rights. Both documents were signed in the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall).
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The Declaration of Independence was first published as a broadside by John Dunlap
The Declaration of Independence was first published as a broadsides by John Dunlap, an official printer to the Continental Congress, in his Philadelphia shop on the night of July 4, 1776. Dunlap printed about 200 broadsides for distribution throughout the 13 states. The exact number is unknown, but it is estimated to be around 200. Dunlap's broadsides were the first published copies of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence was signed by the majority of the delegates on August 2, 1776, but signing continued through the fall of 1776 and perhaps as late as 1781, as delegates returned to or arrived at Congress. The first newspaper to publish the Declaration of Independence was The Pennsylvania Evening Post on July 6, 1776.
The Dunlap Broadside is the first printed version of the Declaration of Independence. It was drafted for the most part by Thomas Jefferson, who provided a basic philosophy of government and a list of grievances against the Crown to justify breaking colonial ties to Great Britain. John Dunlap was born in Strabane, Co Tyrone, and emigrated to Philadelphia as a young man, where he lived with his uncle, William, who was also a printer. Dunlap eventually became the official printer to Congress in 1778.
The Dunlap Broadside is filed in Volume 3 of the Rough Journals in the Papers of the Continental Congress. A copy of the printed version of the approved Declaration was inserted into the "rough journal" of the Continental Congress for July 4. The text was followed by the words "Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress, John Hancock, President".
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The Constitution was first printed by Dunlap and Claypoole
The Declaration of Independence was first printed by John Dunlap in 1776. Dunlap printed about 200 broadsides for distribution. The source copy used for this printing has been lost and may have been a copy in Thomas Jefferson's hand. The first newspaper edition was printed by Benjamin Towne.
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The Declaration of Independence was signed in the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall)
The Declaration of Independence was signed in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The building was constructed in 1732 as the Pennsylvania State House and served as the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress, a body of representatives from each of the thirteen British North American colonies. The Declaration of Independence was signed on 4 July 1776, and the United States Constitution was signed in the same building on 17 September 1787. The Syng inkstand used at the signing of the Declaration of Independence was also used at the signing of the Constitution.
The Assembly Room is the heart of Independence Hall, and it was in this room that the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Second Continental Congress convened in the Assembly Room on 10 May 1775, and on 14 June 1775, delegates established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington. The Declaration of Independence was unanimously approved in the Assembly Room on 4 July 1776. The first formal public reading of the document took place on 8 July 1776, in the yard of Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell, which once hung in the belltower of Independence Hall, is believed to have rung to celebrate this occasion.
The Declaration of Independence was first published as a broadsides printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia on the night of 4 July 1776. The source copy used for this printing has been lost and may have been a copy in Thomas Jefferson's hand. Dunlap's newspaper, the *Pennsylvania Packet*, was among the first to print the Constitution in 1787.
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Frequently asked questions
The Declaration of Independence came first, in 1776. The Constitution was written in 1787.
The Declaration of Independence was a statement of the 13 colonies' freedom from British rule.
The Constitution formed the federal government and set the laws of the land.
Thomas Jefferson was the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence.
The majority of delegates signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776, but signing continued through the fall of 1776 and perhaps as late as 1781.
