Trenton hosted one of the first public readings of the United States Declaration of Independence, the document commemorated by America250.
The first public readings occurred simultaneously at noon on July 8, 1776, only four days after the Declaration’s adoption. The three designated locations were Trenton, New Jersey; Easton, Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Public readings made the congressional announcement understandable to communities that could not see the printed document. The text declared that the thirteen colonies were free and independent states and explained the political grievances against King George III. In an era before mass electronic communication, readings aloud were an essential way to distribute major news.
Trenton later became especially famous in Revolutionary War history because George Washington’s army crossed the Delaware River and defeated Hessian troops there on December 26, 1776. That battle occurred months after the Declaration’s public reading and is a separate event, although both are associated with New Jersey’s Revolutionary-era history.