The Goddard Broadside

What it is

This is a printed sheet known as the Goddard Broadside. Mary Katharine Goddard printed the names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence in January 1777. The scan shows the sheet arranged by colony, with the heading "John Hancock," some "Ordered" text, signatures, and the imprint "Baltimore: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard." Samuel Adams's name appears among the signers listed.

Why it matters

The Goddard Broadside is one of the earliest printed lists of the Declaration's signers. It shows that the names of the men who signed were shared publicly within months of the signing. It connects Adams to the other signers, to Hancock, and to Goddard, a printer who worked outside Philadelphia and whose name is often remembered in connection with the Revolution.

Look closer

• Why do you think the names are grouped by colony, and what does that say about how the signers saw themselves?
• Who was the audience for a list like this, and why would it need to be printed?
• What does the list not tell you about the people who did not sign or who opposed independence?