Declaration Stories
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Declaration Stories
@declarationstories.bsky.social
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Every copy of the Declaration of Independence has a story to tell. Follow for news and stories from 1776, curated by @emilysneff.bsky.social

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November 7 marks the 250th anniversary of Dunmore's proclamation. Learn about the connection between Dunmore's promise of freedom from slavery and the Declaration of Independence, found in the pages of Dixon and Hunter's Virginia Gazette.

🔗: declarationstories.org/stories/dunmores-cruel-declaration
Red background with white pieces of paper in flight above full-length portrait of Lord Dunmore. Text reads: Declaration Stories November 5, 2025 250 years later, Dunmore's "cruel declaration' and the Declaration of Independence are still in conversation
November 5, 2025 at 3:29 PM
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This week's story is brought to you by the letter "C" for Collaboration!

After the war fractured his partnership with Benjamin Edes, John Gill worked alongside Powars and Willis to create a broadside of the Declaration of Independence in Boston.

declarationstories.org/stories/american-broadside
Red background with white pieces of paper in motion and a detail of a printed broadside with a horizontal line and text reading "AMERICA: Boston," main text in white reads Declaration Stories, October 29, 2025, These Boston printers were thinking continentally
October 29, 2025 at 12:44 PM
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July 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—is 250 days away! Are you ready? Follow @declarationstories.bsky.social for weekly glimpses into the early history of the founding document of the United States
October 27, 2025 at 1:35 PM
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In 1776, New England became Independent! In the title of a Boston newspaper, at least.

This week's story is about the New-England Chronicle at @bpl.boston.gov and the men who took it over shortly before the Declaration of Independence.

declarationstories.org/stories/new-england-becomes-independent
Red background with white pieces of paper in motion at top and detail of an 18th century newspaper at bottom. Text reads: Declaration Stories October 22, 2025 After the Declaration, Edward Eveleth Powars and Nathaniel Willis got to put their mark on the Chronicle
October 22, 2025 at 4:22 PM
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This week's story is for fans of footnotes!

Read or subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories/self-evident-falsehood
Red background with swirling white pieces of paper at top and text in white: Declaration Stories, September 17, 2025. In the Scots Magazine, "An Englishman" complained about two phrases that have become the most well-known and treasured parts of the Declaration. At bottom, screenshot of an 18th century newspaper with second sentence of the Declaration, asterisk following "all men are created equal," and dagger following "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".
September 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
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Eight stories down, many more to come!

📬 declarationstories.org to read or subscribe

Learn about the earliest printings and translations, and all the people involved in the process of declaring independence
August 21, 2025 at 1:16 PM
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A cat lady, a closet of family papers, and the Declaration of Independence. In this week's story, learn about Isaiah Dunster's broadside, passed down to his daughter Hannah and eventually out of the family.

declarationstories.org/stories/in-the-family
White text on a red background reads: Declaration Stories, July 23, 2025, Among the papers in Hannah Dunster's closet was her father's copy of the Declaration of Independence. At the top of the image, white pieces of paper in flight. At the bottom, a detail of handwriting reading "Please keep it in the family."
July 23, 2025 at 1:32 PM
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If you're going to have a short-lived newspaper, at least let it live through interesting times! That's the story behind the American Gazette, which featured the #DeclarationofIndependence #onthisday in 1776.

Read or subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories
White text on a red background reads Declaration Stories, July 16, 2025, The American Gazette only lasted six weeks, but those weeks coincided with the Declaration of Independence. Images include pieces of white paper in motion and a detail of an 18th century newspaper engraving with a winged figure holding a trumpet.
July 16, 2025 at 12:22 PM
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How did The City That Reads first get to read the Declaration of Independence? Because of John Dunlap's Baltimore newspaper, printed #onthisday in 1776. But, wasn't John Dunlap in Philadelphia?

Get the story at the link, or subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories
Red background with pieces of paper in motion and white text reading: Declaration Stories, July 9, 2025. Below, beige map with black lines and labels and green accents, cities Philadelphia and Baltimore visible. Overlaid with red block and white text reading: John Dunlap could not be in two places at the same time.
July 9, 2025 at 6:29 PM
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Last week's story was all about German translation.

What will this week's story be?

Subscribe ➡️ declarationstories.org/stories
Red background with white text reading: Declaration Stories, July 2, 2025, From the beginning, the Declaration of Independence was a multilingual document. German language document at the bottom, white pages in motion at the top.
July 7, 2025 at 9:55 PM
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ONE MONTH until the Declaration Stories weekly newsletter! You won't want to miss the first story. Subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories
Light blue background with pieces of paper in flight at different angles. Text: Ready for a story? Declaration Stories weekly newsletter launches July 2. declarationstories.org/stories
June 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
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There's still time to register for the Virtual Workshops for the 250th! Ideal for anyone planning for 2026

May 5: What Everyone Should Know About the Declaration
May 12: Reading the Declaration
May 19: A History of the Fourth of July

Register: www.declarationstories.org/workshops
A red computer mouse and cord on a white background with text in red reading: Over 100 people have registered... and there's still room for you! Red computer monitor on a white background with text in dark blue on the screen reading: Virtual Workshops for the 250th begin in one week. Link: declarationstories.org/workshops.
April 28, 2025 at 2:19 PM
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declarationstories.org/subscribe
April 5, 2025 at 4:41 PM
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The 250th anniversary of the United States is too important to fool around with the Declaration of Independence. Make sure you know the history behind the document, and how to talk about it in a meaningful way.
Register for the virtual workshops in May: www.declarationstories.org/workshops
Dark blue background with white text encircled by red and light blue stars. Text reads: The 250th is no time to fool with the Declaration of Independence. URL reads: declarationstories.org/workshops
April 1, 2025 at 12:52 PM
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For those of us who are planning for the 250th, it is important to:
- tell a full history of the founding document of the United States
- be thoughtful and intentional in the language we use to talk about the Declaration
- find support from other folks who are dealing with the same uncertainties
March 29, 2025 at 1:35 PM
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What is THE Declaration of Independence? Well, it depends on your perspective.

Follow @declarationstories.bsky.social and subscribe at declarationstories.org for more of the history behind the founding document of the United States.

(And follow on Instagram for videos with sound 😊)
March 18, 2025 at 7:25 PM
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If you want your inbox to be filled with 250th content, look no further! Two newsletters coming your way: a weekly series beginning this July, and a daily digest beginning January 1, 2026, curated by @emilysneff.bsky.social.

➡️ declarationstories.org/subscribe
White text on a blue background with white pieces of paper in motion. Text reads: Declaration Stories, Weekly series, every Wednesday from July 2025 through July 2026, Commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration by learning the stories behind different copies from 1776, declarationstories.org/subscribe White text on a blue background with white pieces of paper in motion. Text reads: News from 1776, Daily digest from January 1 through December 31, 2026, Experience what it was like to be in Philadelphia 250 years ago through extracts from the city's newspapers, declarationstories.org/subscribe
March 17, 2025 at 1:47 PM
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Hey educators, programming managers, community leaders, and stakeholders planning for the 250th anniversary of the #DeclarationofIndependence, please join this series of virtual educational workshops!

Registration is $15 per workshop or $30 for all three.
www.declarationstories.org/workshops
White text and blank pieces of paper in motion on a red background. Text reads: Virtual Workshops for the 250th, declarationstories.org/workshops White text and sketch of a feather quill on a red background. Text reads: What Everyone Should Know about the Declaration, May 5, 2025, 7:00 pm Eastern White text and a cartoon of Independence Hall on a red background. Text reads: Reading the Declaration, May 12, 2025, 7:00 pm Eastern White text and blue and white fireworks and stars on a red background. Text reads: A History of the Fourth of July, May 19, 2025, 7:00 pm Eastern
March 16, 2025 at 5:28 PM