Three locations hosted the first public readings of the United States Declaration of Independence.
The readings took place simultaneously at noon on July 8, 1776. The locations were Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Trenton, New Jersey; and Easton, Pennsylvania. These readings brought the revolutionary announcement beyond the walls of Congress and into public spaces.
In Philadelphia, John Nixon read the document in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. The other readings took place in Trenton and Easton, both important communities in the region around Philadelphia.
The number of locations is distinct from the number of colonies represented by Congress. Thirteen colonies were represented in the Declaration, but the first documented public readings occurred at three places. The document was then printed and circulated widely in broadside and newspaper form.