THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Free from the Shackles: July 8, 1776
On this day 250 years ago—July 8, 1776—the citizens of Philadelphia were summoned to the State House Yard by the ringing of bells. At noon, Colonel John Nixon publicly read the full text of the Declaration of Independence for the first time to a gathered crowd.
One signer, William Whipple of New Hampshire, captured the excitement in a letter that very day:
It [the Declaration] was this day published in form at the State House in this city [i.e., at Independence Hall] and is to be published at the head of the Army at New York on Thursday next. We are now free from those cursed shackles that has embarrassed [complicated] all our affairs ever since the commencement of the War.
The crowd responded to this event (and future readings in other locations) with long and joyful celebrations.
The following day, July 9th, General George Washington had the Declaration read to the Continental Army. In his General Orders, he expressed hope that this “important Event” would serve as “a fresh incentive to every officer, and soldier, to act with Fidelity and Courage,” noting that the peace and safety of the country now “depends (under God) solely on the success of our arms.” He urged them to live and act “as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country,” emphasizing that “the blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary.”
These were not empty words. The Declaration closed with the stirring pledge—with “a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence”—that the signers mutually committed “our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” The 56 men who affixed their names knew the risks, yet they stepped forward in faith.
Our new book, Lives, Fortunes, & Sacred Honor: The Signers of the Declaration, tells their remarkable stories in detail—their faith, families, sacrifices, and legacies. It is an ideal resource for personal reading, family discussions, small groups, or church studies as we continue celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
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