Liberty Bell Rings: Declaration Read to the People
The bell that would later be called the Liberty Bell rang from the Pennsylvania State House tower as the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to a crowd gathered in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. Most colonists heard the Declaration not by reading it but by listening to public readings in town squares, taverns, and military camps. George Washington ordered it read to his troops in New York on July 9, and some listeners immediately tore down a statue of King George III and melted it into musket balls. The public performance transformed abstract political philosophy into a rallying cry that forced every colonist to choose sides.
July 8, 1776
250 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on July 8
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