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"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
The first official copy of the Declaration of Independence, with the names of the signers attached, was printed in 1777 by Mary Katherine Goddard, a Baltimore printer.
Most likely, Goddard was chosen for the task because on July 10, 1776, upon receiving word of the signing of the document, she devoted the front page of her newspapers, "The Maryland Journal" and "The Baltimore Journal," to the Declaration of Independence.
Printing was one the few professions open to women at that time, and Goddard was one of 30 female printers in the colonies. Money was scarce throughout the American Revolution, and Goddard's subscribers often paid her in goods rather than cash. To raise cash, Goddard opened a store adjacent to the print shop, selling the goods she received. She also was the first woman in the American colonies to serve as postmaster, a position she filled for 14 years.
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