Spirit of America: Reading the Declaration of Independence Across America

This is a nationwide program initiated and sponsored by the Hawai‘i America250 Commission. Just as the Declaration of Independence was read to the people on July 8, 1776, now, 250-years later, Americans in all 50 States and 16 Territories of the United States will read the Declaration of Independence ‘together’.

Even though the United States is spread across thousands of miles and nine different time zones, all of us in America may read the Declaration of Independence ‘together’, at the ‘same’ time. Unlike the extent of the Colonies in 1776, today, America spans about 9,500-miles from one extreme to the other (the Caribbean across North America to the western edge of the Pacific).

With a start time based on 6 pm (EDT), July 8, 2026 (commemorating the first public reading), people in communities across America will begin reading the Declaration of Independence. Alaska’s start time is 2pm – stay tuned for more information about how and where our state will read the Declaration of Independence.