The Declaration of Independence will be read at the same time across 50 states, the District of Columbia, five territories and the Minor Outlying Islands of the United States on Wednesday, July 8. Called the Sharing the Spirit of America project, this nationwide program was initiated and sponsored by the Hawaiʻi America250 Commission.
So far, readings of the Declaration of Independence will take place at 740 locations, which are published on this map. There will be readings on all seven continents and in 36 locations outside of the U.S.
“You start reading the Declaration of Independence and you're going to be joining thousands of people literally across the world that will be reading at the same moment in time,” said Peter Young, the chair of the Hawaiʻi America250 Commission. "But it is spanning over 19 different time zones, so we're separated geographically, but we're joined together in time.”
This year marks the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Why are most Independence Day celebrations on July 4, but the reading of the historic document is on July 8?
“On July 4, 1776, Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence,” Young said. “That document then got printed, and you couldn't just email it or Xerox it. It had to get to a printer. And then it had to get distributed, and so it wasn't until July 8 that that document was officially read to the public for the first time.”
America250 is striving for “350 for 250,” or a goal to engage all 350 million Americans by the nation’s 250th anniversary, according to its website.
For the Sharing the Spirit of America project, the idea is that readings of the Declaration of Independence will take place at the same time across the world, starting at 6 p.m. EST, which is noon in Hawaiʻi.
“And in the territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, it's 8 a.m. in the morning on July 9, because they're on the other side of the dateline,” he said.
In Hawaiʻi — the youngest state — copies of the the Declaration of Independence will be available at local libraries, Young said.
“At noon some of those libraries will have actual live readings, but anyone can go down to the library, and it will be available if you want to read it," he said.
Earlier this year, Young broke the Declaration of Independence into sections and asked politicians and students to read it. The video features Gov. Josh Green, as well as sixth graders and high school students, among other readers. It was assembled by students from Maui High School and was recently published on YouTube.
“An important aspect of the commemoration is not just the historical events, but looking to the future,” Young said. “How do we work better together? How do we have a common bond? However we think about the world or issues in the world, we have the common bond of being Americans, and that bond takes us back to this Declaration of Independence.”
Read more about other Hawaiʻi America250 events.
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
