<P> The Fair Copy was presumably marked up by Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress, while Congress debated and revised the text . This document was the one that Congress approved on July 4, making it what Boyd called the first "official" copy of the Declaration . The Fair Copy was sent to be printed under the title "A Declaration by the Representatives of the united states of america, in General Congress assembled ." Boyd argued that if a document was signed in Congress on July 4--which he thought unlikely--it would have been the Fair Copy, and probably would have been signed only by John Hancock and Thomson . </P> <P> The Fair Copy may have been destroyed in the printing process, or destroyed during the debates in accordance with Congress's secrecy rule . </P> <P> The Declaration was first published as a broadside printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia . One broadside was pasted into Congress's journal, making it what Boyd called the "second official version" of the Declaration . Dunlap's broadsides were distributed throughout the thirteen states . Upon receiving these broadsides, many states issued their own broadside editions . </P> <P> The Dunlap broadsides were the first published copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed on the night of July 4, 1776 . It is unknown exactly how many broadsides were originally printed, but the number is estimated at about 200 . John Hancock's eventually famous signature was not on this document, but his name appeared in large type under "Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress", with secretary Charles Thomson listed as a witness ("Attest"). </P>

Who printed the first copy of the declaration of independence