Matlack's Declaration: How a Philadelphia Brewer Proclaimed America's Independence

On May 8, 1776, Philadelphia was alarmed by cannon fire. American galleys had engaged with British warships downriver. With the enemy at hand, the time had come for Congress to declare independence. But the Pennsylvania Assembly continued to oppose and block this course of action in contempt of the people’s wishes. On June 14, with the authority of Congress, Timothy Matlack and his fellow committeemen deposed a legislature that had long since refused to represent the people equally.On July 2, 1776, Pennsylvania united with the other colonies in declaring themselves free and independent states. Two days later, Congress ordered their declaration of independence to be proclaimed across the United States. But where and when was the Declaration first read in public? What evidence does the only surviving proof copy of the Dunlap broadside contain?In Pennsylvania, the people adopted Timothy Matlack as their tribune. In the summer of 1776, his radical faction moved to form a government based on democratic principles. The wealthy were not amused. Matlack’s prominent role in Pennsylvania’s Revolution earned him powerful enemies. At the end of the war, his foes planned his downfall. Read more