A reading of the Declaration of Independence
- Orange County Historical Society
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
A crowd of about 125 people came out this past July 8 to witness the public reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Orange County courthouse steps. This event was
synchronized in public spaces and buildings and private homes across the nation. July 8 is the exact day 250 years ago that the Declaration of Independence was publicly read in Philadelphia.
The local event featured the tolling of the Orange Baptist Church bell, a fife and drum trio, an honor guard made up of two of the Sons of the American Revolution and the reading of Jefferson’s document by reenactor Marc Holma. The famous words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,”
were followed by a litany of grievances against the British crown.
The event was organized by the Orange County Historical Society and the James Madison
Museum of Orange County Heritage.
