The first public readings of the Declaration of Independence were held on July 8, 1776, a milestone recalled by America250.
The readings took place at noon in Philadelphia, Easton, Pennsylvania, and Trenton, New Jersey. In Philadelphia, John Nixon read the document in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall.
The public readings followed Congress’s July 4 adoption and the printing of copies by John Dunlap. Reading the text aloud allowed people across the colonies to hear the official explanation for independence, even when printed copies were scarce.
July 8 is distinct from July 4, the adoption date, and August 2, the date when most delegates signed the engrossed parchment. The Liberty Bell is often connected with the Philadelphia reading, although no contemporary account proves that it rang for that event.