Rare Printing on the Second Day of Publication

“WE, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common Defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution of the United States of America.”

September 20, 1787, issue of the Pennsylvania Herald, printing the Constitution in full, with George Washington’s transmittal letters presenting it to the Association Congress and recommending it for ratification. 

Five Philadelphia daily newspapers had published it one day earlier, on Sept. 19. They were preceded only by the Official Edition of 500 copies printed for the Constitutional Convention on the night of September 17 (only 13 are known to survive), and an intermediary proof printed by John Dunlap (only 2 known to survive) before his September 19 newspaper.  

★ Pennsylvania Herald. second-day printing, September 20, 1787. #27499