Americans are shocked after learning a WOMAN'S name appears in the Declaration of Independence: 'We have a Founding Mother!'
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Americans know that 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence, but what many have recently learned is that a woman's name appears on the documents.
A recent TikTok video, viewed over one million times, has gone viral after sharing that 'Marry Katherine Goddard' sits at the bottom of the page.
Goddard was not a signer but printed the first copy of the Declaration of Independence for the Continental Congress in 1777, marking herself as the first female government employee in the US.
At the time, women were seen as second class citizens, they did not have voting rights and were barred from holding positions in publishing.
Americans know that 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence, but what many have recently learned is that a woman's name appears on the documents
A recent TikTok video, viewed over one million times, has gone viral after sharing that 'Marry Katherine Goddard' sits at the bottom of the page
But Goddard was working at her brother's newspaper in Baltimore that was tasked with printing the first copies of the Declaration of Independence and she put her name on each copy that she put through the printing press.
While her name has been cemented in history since, many people are just now learning about her story and are calling her 'our Founding Mother.'
The video has wracked up nearly 300,00 likes and over 1,000 comments, with users admitting they had no idea.
Others shared how seeing Goddard's name made them 'very emotional, with some stating they cried upon viewing the short clip.
Goddard, born in Connecticut in 1738 began printing for her brother's, William, paper the Maryland Journal and the Baltimore Advertiser, but she did so under 'M.K. Goddard' because women were prohibited from such professions.
In December 1776, the Continental Congress relocated to Baltimore just blocks away from the paper.
And one month later, Goddard printed the first version of the document to list the names of most of the signers.
Goddard's imprint at the bottom of the document identifies not only the city where she worked but also her full name: 'Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard.'
'Goddard risked her life and her livelihood by including her own name on the Declaration of Independence,' reads a blog from the National Park Service.
The risk was due to consequences that could come about her defying the roles of women, which may have included whipping or imprisonment.
Goddard was not a signer but printed the first copy of the Declaration of Independence for the Continental Congress in 1777, marking herself as the first female government employee in the US.
The first copy of the Declaration of Independence is also different from the one many Americans know as it was only signed by John Hancock, who was the president of the Continental Congress, and Charles Thomson, its secretary.
Not only did Goddard expose herself to the world, she also unmakes the 55 men who dared to defy tyranny and declare independence from England.
Goddard again broke barriers of tradition in the postal world by being one of the first postmasters, head of a post office, to use a letter carrier.
While she was a trailblazer of her time, misfortune struck when William fired her from the paper. The reason is unknown, but reports suggested the two never spoke again.
Then in 1789, a man with few qualifications took over Goddard's role as postmaster.
Maryland's governor and over 230 Baltimore citizens signed a petition for her reinstatement and she went to the Senate to plead for the return of her position.
But the Senate never responded to her letter.
She then took her case to President George Washington with another letter.
'She has been discharged from her Office, without any imputation of the least fault,' the letter stated.
Unlike the Senate, Washington responded but not as Goddard had hoped.
'I have uniformly avoided interfering with any appointments which do not require my official agency,' he replied.
Goddard never worked with the post office or for a newspaper again but started her own printing and bookbinding business that thrived for 20 years.
She died at age 78 on August 12, 1816.
The TikTok video has brought her story back to life, with many Americans being brought to tears after learning about Goddard.
