1776: The Illustrated Edition was released on October 2, 2007. The Illustrated Edition contains 140 images and thirty-seven removable replicas of source documents. More than three dozen source documents—including a personal letter George Washington penned to Martha about his commission, a note informing the mother of a Continental Army soldier that her son has been taken prisoner, and a petition signed by Loyalists pledging their allegiance to the King—are re-created in uniquely designed envelopes throughout the book and secured with the congressional seal.
The text closely mirrors the original book, but omits or summarizes some parts deemed too long. The Illustrated Edition comes with its own protective slipcase, decorated with The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776 by John Trumbull and has a "fake watermark" of the Great Seal of the United States on the back and front. The book is plain covered in blue with the golden embossed numbers "1776".
