Sharing the Spirit of America: Community readings of the Declaration of Independence near Manchester
On July 8, listen to and/or participate in a live reading of the Declaration of Independence near Manchester. Image credit: Sharing the Spirit of America.
by Sara Swanson
On July 8 at 6pm, communities across the country will simultaneously read the Declaration of Independence aloud — marking the exact date and time of its first public reading in 1776. Americans in all 50 States and 16 Territories of the United States will read the Declaration of Independence as part of ‘Sharing the Spirit of America.’ While no official readings are scheduled in Manchester, we do have multiple readings planned nearby.
The closest is in Clinton put on by the Historical Society of Clinton. It will be held outside the Smith Kimball Community Center, 211 Tecumseh St. Attendees should bring their own chairs or blankets; the event will last approximately 30 minutes beginning at 5:30pm with a brass quintet, a welcome at 5:45pm, the reading of the Declaration of Independence at 6pm, followed by the pledge of allegiance, and an American Legion Salute.
Other nearby readings include:
In Adrian, there will be a reading organized by the Lucy Wolcott Barnum Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution at the Lenawee County Courthouse, located at 301 N. Main Street. At that event many members will read portions of the document, joined by additional community members of all ages and ethnicities. Patriotic music will be sung, and a high school band is scheduled to perform. They welcome readings in alternate languages.
In Ann Arbor, at the University of Michigan on the Diag, University President Domenico Grasso will begin the reading and will pass the Declaration of Independence around to a representative from each college and school at the University. The reading will start promptly at 6pm. Arrive early to get a red, white, and blue popsicle and a sticker.
In Concord, the Michigan History Center will be holding a reading at The Mann House located at 205 Hanover Street. The event begins at 5:30pm and runs until 7:30pm with the reading at 6pm, performances by patriotic singers, and complimentary ice cream and cake for attendees.
In Mason, the Lansing Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Ephraim Wheaton Sons of the American Revolution, the Ingham County Historical Society, and the Colonial Dames XVII Century Society are holding a reading at the Ingham County Court House, 315 S. Jefferson St. in Mason which will include a Ben Franklin re-enactor reading part of the Declaration, a color guard, and firing of a canon.
If you want to hold a reading in Manchester, it’s not too late, visit: https://www.america250mi.org/sharing-the-spirit-of-america to download the Declaration of Independence and register the event.
Sharing the Spirit of America organizers state, “The Declaration’s words—’all men are created equal’—were proclaimed by a small circle of wealthy, well‑educated men in powdered wigs, many of whom denied those very rights to others. And yet those words sparked Unfinished Revolutions: abolishing slavery; restoring and lifting Indigenous voices; expanding the vote; welcoming immigrants; empowering civil rights and labor movements; sending girls to school—then into laboratories—legislatures—and low Earth orbit. The arc is imperfect—and still bending—because ordinary people keep showing up to make the text true. At its heart, this event affirms two enduring truths: ‘That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,’ and ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal… endowed… with certain unalienable Rights… among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ On July 8, we gather not only to read these words, but to live them—locally, lawfully, and together.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login