As Part of “The Declaration’s Journey,” Museum to Display Jewish Merchant Jonas Phillips’ Dunlap Printing of the Declaration of Independence for the First Time Publicly

Special Exhibition Celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial Will Open With Story of Phillips’ Intercepted Correspondence, Impact of Lesser-Known Revolutionary

Items on Loan from The National Archives of the United Kingdom Returning to Philadelphia for the First Time Since 1776

The Museum of the American Revolution today announces exciting new details of its loan acquisitions for The Declaration’s Journey, a special exhibition running from Oct. 18, 2025 through Jan. 3, 2027 commemorating the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the people who contributed to its proliferation across the world and continued relevance through time.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. They authorized John Dunlap, a Philadelphia printer, to publish the first broadsides — or poster-sized copies — of the Declaration. Congress sent the broadsides that Dunlap printed to each state and to George Washington, the commander of the Continental Army, and soon printers in New York, Boston, Charleston, London, and beyond published the Declaration in their newspapers or created their own broadsides. Only 25 original Dunlap printings still exist today, and very few with known provenance of who saw them, shared them, or saved them from being lost to time.

Jonas Phillips, a Jewish immigrant merchant in Philadelphia, owned a shop on Market Street that was near the printing office where John Dunlap created the first broadsides of the Declaration. On July 28, 1776, Phillips folded up one of Dunlap’s broadsides and enclosed it in a letter to Gumpel Samson, his relative and business associate in Amsterdam. He explained that he was sharing “a declaration of that whole country,” the newly created United States of America. Phillips used his merchant connections in the Caribbean to try to get his message safely to Europe, and he wrote his letter in Judeo-German (Yiddish) to conceal its contents. Unfortunately, a British ship captured his letter containing the news of independence.

As an early example of how the Declaration of Independence proliferated geographically since its original drafting, ratification, and printing, the Museum of the American Revolution will display the original contents of Phillips’ confiscated parcel — his letter, the Dunlap printing, and a bill of exchange intended for his mother — all on loan from The National Archives of the United Kingdom.

Emily Sneff, Guest Curator and Historian for The Declaration’s Journey, was the one who “connected the dots” between the correspondence already attributed to Phillips and what is now the most recently identified Dunlap broadside — confirming its provenance and encapsulating its historical significance.

“I love that these artifacts will have a full-circle moment by returning to Philadelphia for the first time since 1776,” Sneff said. “Telling Jonas Phillips’ full story is something the Museum of the American Revolution is uniquely qualified to do, and introducing people who come to the Museum to this uniquely Philadelphian story is a great starting point for the exhibition.”

Phillips married Rebecca Machado, the daughter of a prominent Jewish leader in New York. They had 21 children together. In Philadelphia, Phillips used his wife’s connections to grow his business and, after serving in the Pennsylvania militia, went on to become an advocate for equal rights for the Jewish community. A founder of Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, Phillips was part of the group of Jewish men who reviewed the various state constitutions of the United States to understand how the constitution affected the civil rights of Jewish Americans. The group ended up petitioning Pennsylvania over a clause in the 1776 state constitution that required a Christian oath to hold public office. That oath requirement was not included in the state constitution then adopted in 1790. Phillips’ descendants include state governors and supreme court justices, as well as Uriah Phillips Levy, the first Jewish Commodore in the United States Navy who bought Monticello eight years after President Thomas Jefferson's death.

Matthew Skic, Director of Collections and Exhibitions for the Museum of the American Revolution, said highlighting Phillips’ story prominently in the exhibit showcases the Museum’s mission to uncover and share lesser-known stories about the diverse contributors to the proliferation of the United States Declaration and to the Revolutionary cause.

“The Jewish-American community in 1776 was small, and yet we will exhibit artifacts in The Declaration’s Journey that speak to their experience,” Skic said. “Telling Phillips’ story — that of an American immigrant, businessowner, and family man who still had an impact on the Declaration’s journey, builds historical relatability and empathy in modern audiences. It is a story that shortens the gap between 1776 and today.”

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. Through the Museum’s unmatched collection, immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive elements, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in ensuring that the promise of the American Revolution endures. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is an independent, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.