American Scripture

1. “Spreading the News”

John Hancock was responsible for informing residents of every state that Congress had chosen Independence. In a letter to George Washington, Hancock requested that the general tell his troops about the Declaration of Independence in any way he saw fit. Hancock said much the same thing in letters to every state government. Most Americans received the Declaration’s text through public recitations—the method Washington chose. The Declaration liberated the armed forces from their loyalty to George III and motivated them to fight the British.

Americans in major cities expressed their joy at being free of King George with celebrations and rituals including firing guns and cannons, lighting bonfires, and destroying signs and images of the King. State governments ordered public readings of the Declaration in rural areas, where the recipients reacted similarly to the city-dwellers. Newspapers and printers disseminated the document as well, sometimes upon the orders of a government authority.

2. “An All-But-Forgotten Testament”

While Independence was cause for celebration, the Declaration itself was not—to Americans during and immediately after the war, it was simply a document whose function was consistent with English political history. There was some confusion about which date would be Independence Day: July 2, the day Congress approved Independence, or July 4, when Congress signed the Declaration.