Yesterday, on July 8, at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Americans across the globe joined together for a simultaneous reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The event was planned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration on July 8, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia.
When I was researching the summer of 1776 in Philadelphia for my book For Liberty and Love, I unearthed an old history book from 1887.
According to the account in the book:
"The first public celebration of the event (signing of the Declaration) was in Philadelphia on the 8th of July. It did not take place earlier because printed copies were not ready sooner. At noon on the day named, the committee of safety and of inspection, the officers of the city government and the members of congress marched in procession from the hall to the yard, where an immense multitude had gathered. John Nixon, a member of the committee of safety, then read from the balcony in a loud and clear voice, the immortal Declaration of Independence, which was received with cheers and uproarious enthusiasm. The day was given to jollification, and the old Liberty Bell pealed out its joyous notes of the town and along the Delaware. "
From The Youths' History of the United States by Edward S. Ellis
Bells began ringing before noon to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to the State House Yard. The weather was unbearably hot. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have so many bodies crowded into that space, eager to hear what was about to be read.
The bells stopped, and at noon, Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence. Some accounts say he stood on the balcony, others say he stood in the steps. Regardless of where he stood, he read in a loud, clear voice that carried the words of liberty (and at that time considered treason) over the crowd.
Colonel Nixon was the son of a prominent Philadelphia shipping merchant and owner of a wharf on the Delaware River. He was educated in business instead of formal schooling, and inherited his father's enterprises in 1749. He because a warden of the port in 1766, a signer of paper money issued by Pennsylvania in 1767, and a manager of Pennsylvania Hospital from 1768-1772. In 1765 he married Elizabeth Davis and they had five children. He because an early and ardent proponent of the colonies, actively opposed to the Stamp Act. When the Revolutionary War began, he joined the Committee of Safety. He was a lieutenant-colonel in the Third Battalion of Associators (a unit of wealthy individuals), but he participated in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, and was chosen partially for his military service with George Washington to read the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. Nixon went on to become one of the organizers and a director of the Bank of Pennsylvania, and in 1784 because the director of the Bank of North America, the first national bank.
After Colonel Nixon read the Declaration, the bells again began to peal and rang throughout the day. Reports state people celebrated the rest of the day, eager for liberty.
Despite the heat and the crowds, I wish I could have been there that day to hear the words read aloud for the first time.
Since I couldn't be there, I did the next best thing, and wrote about in from the perspective of my heroine, Lucy, in For Liberty and Love.
I also wrote about the moment from the perspective of Lucy's little brother, Theo, in a rhyming read-aloud children's picture book.
Theo and the Day the Bells Rang follows Theo through the day on July 8, 1776, as he experiences a momentous event that changed our nation.
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.
Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.
