The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence took place in Philadelphia in July 1776.
The reading occurred on July 8, four days after Congress adopted the document. Philadelphia was the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress, and the declaration was read publicly near the Pennsylvania State House, the building now known as Independence Hall.
Public readings helped turn a congressional document into a shared political announcement. Printed broadsides circulated the text, while readings allowed people who could not obtain or read a copy to hear the colonies' stated reasons for separation. Similar readings soon took place in other communities.
The Liberty Bell is traditionally associated with the July 8 reading, although historians debate whether it actually rang for that occasion. The bell was already a prominent symbol in Philadelphia, but the famous story connecting it directly to the announcement became more prominent in later retellings. Philadelphia itself is not in doubt: it was the city of the first public reading.