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The History List

Edes "Declaration of Independence" from the Printing Office of Edes & Gill in Boston

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From the Printing Office of Edes & Gill in Boston. You can purchase the Declaration, described below, or the Declaration and the Constitution, which is also printed at Edes & Gill, at a savings of $5 for the pair.


 

You can watch the Declaration being printed in the longer video below.

We are able to make these available through special arrangement. Each one is printed by hand on a historic press by a good friend of mine who founded and operates the printing office. More information on the history behind this printing appears below.

The print is about 20" x 14". (There is a variance of 1/4" to 1/2" depending on how the paper is cut.)  As was the case with the original broadsides, there is variability in ink coverage.  As a result, you should not expect the same crisp, consistent ink coverage that we are used to with material printed on modern presses. To get a better idea of why some of these differences occur, watch the video above.

The Philadelphia broadside of the Declaration printed by John Dunlap is also available, as is the Baltimore broadside printed by Mary Katherine Goddard. Use the pull down menu above to purchase all three and save $8.

You can also purchase a copy of the Boston broadside of the Constitution before it was ratified. The print includes a letter from Washington urging ratification. Photos and an in-depth video explaining the five-year-long effort to find and reproduce this broadside are on the product page

Finally, a note about the photo with the frame: Although I no longer make and sell frames, I've included a photo of a frame I made (from raw lumber, not frame stock) and finished in a manner that suggests some age. I'm including it to give you an idea of how nice this looks framed. (The photo is before the document was mounted in the frame, and yes, I regret not taking a photo of it before I packed it up and sent it off.)

Thanks for your interest. The broadsides are really wonderful. You'll have something to frame and pass down from generation to generation.

— Lee Wright  |  Founder  |  The History List  |  History Camp


 Watch the Declaration being printed

This longer video (6:18) shows the printing of the Declaration and includes additional information on the history of the Declaration and of printing.


 About Benjamin Edes & John Gill

On April 7, 1755, Edes and Gill became the proprietors of The Boston Gazette and Country Journal. According to the author of Infamous Scribblers (2006), the Boston Gazette, arguably the most influential newspaper the country has ever known, got us into the Revolutionary War, sped up the course of the war and may have even determined the outcome of the war.

Historical Background: The Declaration of Independence

"The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of The United States of America. Written by Thomas Jefferson, (one of the five members of the Committee that Congress had appointed to draft the document. Other members being: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman) between June 11th and June 28th 1776.

Congress voted for Independency on July 2nd and then took up Jefferson’s draft for the next two days. Eighty-six alterations were made to the draft and congress approved the document on July 4th, 1776.

Congress then ordered the committee that drafted the Declaration to oversee the printing of the Declaration. A fair copy was made of the amended draft and hand carried by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin to the printing office of John Dunlap in Philadelphia on the afternoon of the 4th. The Declaration was printed that night into the early morning of July 5th. John Hancock, President of Congress began to send out “official copies” on the 5th and 6th of July to all thirteen Colonies, ordering them to print the Declaration in their newspapers and generally distribute the news as they saw fit.

The first printing of the Declaration in Boston

The “official” copy of the Declaration arrived about July 15th in Boston. The patriot printer John Gill set it in type on the 16th and printed on the 17th ready for distribution on the 18th of July. On the 18th, the Declaration was read from the balcony of the Old State House for the first time. Large crowds gathered to hear the address.

Just two editions of the Boston Printing of the Declaration broadside were published by Gill and then it disappeared from history. Only three copies from this John Gill edition have survived. In June 2009 Christie's auctioned a rare Boston imprint of the Declaration.

One original copy was located in the collection of the Bostonian Society by Gary Gregory, founder and Shop Master of the recreated Edes & Gill. Gary then had all 9.000 characters of type meticulously cast in lead to match the original document.

This recreation was first printed by the Printing Office of Edes and Gill on July 3rd 2012, marking the first time since July 1776 that anyone had printed the Boston Broadside of the Declaration of Independence.
 
Printed by hand on the Wooden Common Press printed in the Printing office of Edes & Gill located in the Clough House (c 1715) on the grounds of the Old North Church Historic Site in Boston.

The Printing Office is a non-profit 50(c)3 corporation funded entirely by donations, gifts, and the sale of materials printed on their historic press. A portion of the proceeds of this sale will go to them.  


Additional resources
  • Details in this listing at Christie's about specific printings and the way in which the document was distributed to major cities. As mentioned above, this was in 2009 and it was the first Boston and tenth broadside edition of the Declaration. It sold for $722,500.
  • Describing the original printing of this broadside and the reproduction, from the Declaration Resources Project at Harvard.
  • The Library of Congress's site on the Declaration, with links to additional resources.

Shipping

For shipments to addresses within the U.S. (scroll down for International shipping) 

Flat-rate shipping: Regardless of the number of items you order, the shipping price for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, and button packs is $5.95.

For hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets, the shipping cost is $8.95. 

Our flat rate shipping means you can add two or more t-shirts, sweatshirts, or caps for no additional shipping charge.

Note that some large or heavy items, including larger framed prints, may have a different shipping charge or a shipping surcharge. When they do, it will be noted on the product page.

 

Timing

We try to ship orders within three business days of receiving them. This applies to in-stock items. Framed items or items requiring personalization may take up to two weeks longer. If there is an extended delay, it will be noted on the product page.

We close for a week over Independence Day and Christmas. A notice will appear at the top of every page of the site in advance of this closure.

We ship most orders via USPS, so if the post office is closed, we won't be shipping orders that day.

If you need to receive your order by a certain date, such as to give as a gift or have for a trip, we recommend ordering at least two weeks in advance, especially if you are using USPS shipping. 

If you're looking for reliable, on-time deliveries, we strongly suggest upgrading to "UPS 3 Business Day Select Shipping."

Additional notes:

  • When fulfillment takes longer, such as around the Christmas holidays, we'll put up an announcement in the site and will list recommended shipping deadlines below.
  • If an item is out of stock, we will contact you.
  • If one of your items is an advance order, that will be noted on the product page along with an estimate of when it will ship. If that estimated date changes, the product page will be updated.

    Charges for shipping to destinations in the United States and to APO, DPO, and FPO addresses

    • Free shipping
      • On stickers, magnets, decals, patches, static clings, and individual button pins.

    • US Postal Service shipping - The least expensive, though also less reliable than UPS. (See more on UPS in the next section.) 

      • $5.95 for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, button packs.

        Regardless of the number of items you order, the shipping price is still fixed at $5.95. Our flat rate shipping means you can add another t-shirt, cap, or book for no additional shipping charge.

      • $8.95 for hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets.

    We strongly recommend using UPS, especially in November and December.

      UPS 3 Business Day Select 

      Note: UPS 3 Business Day select is not available for addresses in Hawaii and Alaska. If UPS is selected for Hawaii or Alaska, the order will be shipped UPS Ground.

      Cut off time: Orders received by 3 pm Eastern will ship the same business day.  Applies to in-stock items that do not require personalization or signing.
        UPS's normal (non-holiday) delivery guarantee is by the end of the third business day, and this includes delivery on Saturday.  This applies to the 48 contiguous states. 
          • $14.95 for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, button packs.

          • $18.95 for hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets.

          • If the actual shipping cost is significantly higher than what we’re charging, we will contact you to discuss alternatives.

        • UPS Overnight (Next Business Day Delivery)
        Before placing your order, call 469-233-7712.

        For shipments to addresses outside the United States

        Destinations

        We only ship to locations that are served by US Postal Service International Service.

        Charges

        • Canada and Mexico

          • $18.00 for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, button packs.
          • $24.00 for hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets.

        • Rest of the World

          • Rates starts at $65.00.

        Additional charges for all destinations

        Some large, heavy items may have an additional shipping charge.  If that's the case, it will be noted on the product page.

        If the actual shipping cost is significantly higher than what we’re charging, we will contact you to discuss alternatives.

          All original designs are copyrighted by The History List

          All designs are copyrighted by The History List and the History Nerd text and design on t-shirts is a registered trademark. If you see a knock off, please let me know.

          Mission

          Your purchases support our mission to engage people with local history and to support historic sites and history organizations across the country.

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          Customer Reviews

          Based on 50 reviews
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          M
          Mark J.
          So Far, So Good

          I have purchased Paine's Amercian Crisis and the Declaration, both printed by the same shop. I love both of them. I love the feel of having an old document in my hand like they did "back in the day." History should be kept alive in this manner.

          K
          Kenneth P.
          Forgot to attach the photo

          I forgot to attach the photo on my review, so here's my review with said photo.
          The printing is just amazing, and looks stunning when properly framed and mounted.
          You want to buy this.

          T
          Tony K.
          Declaration of Independence

          Really nice piece of history for my wall. I have been to Boston and loved walking through history. Great addition to my American Revolution collection.

          S
          Scott Z.
          Declaration of Independence

          Received my copy recently. Arrived quickly and in perfect condition, packaged very well. It looks fantastic, and I can't wait to get it framed so that I may hang it in my office. Great product!

          J
          J N.
          Great Quality

          Received my print and was extremely pleased with he quality

          J
          John
          Great

          Great product

          B
          Brent H.
          Absolutely stunning!

          If you are on the fence about getting the Declaration, get it! It's worth it. The pictures don't do it justice. Because of the size you may have to get a bigger frame & get it matted like i did. But it enhances it. I'm very pleased with it.

          L
          Linda P.
          Printed copy of the Declaration of Independence.

          Such a beautiful piece. It will look beautiful and stately next to my pictures of Jefferson and Adams. Thank you. I love your stuff!