Easton hosted one of the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The first public readings occurred simultaneously at noon on July 8 in three places: Philadelphia, Trenton in New Jersey, and Easton in Pennsylvania. In Easton, the reading took place at the county courthouse, a location that helped spread the news beyond the meeting place of Congress.
Philadelphia's reading was delivered by John Nixon in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall. The readings allowed ordinary residents and local officials to hear the document soon after Congress approved it and printers circulated it.
Easton's role is sometimes overlooked because Philadelphia is more closely associated with the Declaration. The Pennsylvania town nevertheless became an important early site of public proclamation, linking the national decision in Philadelphia with communities farther inland.