A reenactment of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in New York City on the evening of July 9th, 1776, on its 250th anniversary, in the place where it happened.

The reading will be held in the Commons at 6:00 pm. After the reading, there will be a march to Bowling Green followed by the premiere of the movie ‘By George’ at the Battery.

On that day, General George Washington, based at his headquarters at Number One Broadway (beside Bowling Green), received a copy of the Declaration — adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 — and ordered a formal reading to his troops and the public. At 6:00 PM, Washington assembled the city’s brigades at the Common, now known as City Hall Park, a central civic space

The reading was both a military and civic event. Washington’s recorded orders emphasized that the peace and safety of the country now depended “solely on the success of our arms”. After the reading, a large crowd of patriots, led by figures like Isaac Sears, marched to Bowling Green Park to protest the presence of a large equestrian statue of King George III. The statue was torn down, its head cut off, and its pieces shipped to Connecticut, where much of the lead was later melted down to make bullets for the American cause

This July 9, 1776, reading was a pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War, boosting morale among soldiers and civilians alike, and cementing New York City’s role as a key center of the independence movement.

A reenactment of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in New York City on the evening of July 9th, 1776, on its 250th anniversary, in the place where it happened.

The reading will be held in the Commons at 6:00 pm. After the reading, there will be a march to Bowling Green followed by the premiere of the movie ‘By George’ at the Battery.

On that day, General George Washington, based at his headquarters at Number One Broadway (beside Bowling Green), received a copy of the Declaration — adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 — and ordered a formal reading to his troops and the public. At 6:00 PM, Washington assembled the city’s brigades at the Common, now known as City Hall Park, a central civic space

The reading was both a military and civic event. Washington’s recorded orders emphasized that the peace and safety of the country now depended “solely on the success of our arms”. After the reading, a large crowd of patriots, led by figures like Isaac Sears, marched to Bowling Green Park to protest the presence of a large equestrian statue of King George III. The statue was torn down, its head cut off, and its pieces shipped to Connecticut, where much of the lead was later melted down to make bullets for the American cause

This July 9, 1776, reading was a pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War, boosting morale among soldiers and civilians alike, and cementing New York City’s role as a key center of the independence movement.

The It Happened Here program highlights the deaths of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, & James Monroe

On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson passed away. John Quincy Adams recorded in his diary that his father's last words were “Thomas Jefferson survives.” Adams was without a doubt correct, although Jefferson died a few hours later. Five years later, on July 4, 1831, James Monroe, the last of the Founding Fathers to hold office, died in New York.

Please join cultureNOW, the Lower Manhattan Historical Association, Sons of the RevolutionSM in the State of New York, Inc. and its Fraunces Tavern® Museum for a hybrid symposium.

Speakers

• Jim Rasenberger, Author (In-Person)

• Tim McGrath, Author (Attending Virtually)

Price:

• In Person: Included in Museum Admission (Special Admission on July 4th will be $1)

• Virtually: Free. RSVP Required.

• Please note that seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and walk-ins will be accommodated space permitting.

Images:

• John Adams © Gilbert Stuart, National Portrait Gallery

• Thomas Jefferson © Mather Brown, Smithsonian Institution

• James Monroe © Gilbert Stuart, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

RSVP HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1991583265158

The celebration of Independence Day has been a long standing tradition in Lower Manhattan from the very first days of the Revolution, and especially following the British military's evacuation in 1783. This year the celebration will begin with a Flag Raising, Cannon Salute to the fifty states at Castle Clinton, followed by a parade through historic downtown.

In the afternoon, Fraunces Tavern Museum will have an open house. There is also an It Happened Here program at 3:00pm The Passing of Three Presidents highlighting John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe who died on July 4th.