Thursday, October 1, 2026
It may be the most famous breakup letter in history. After laying out the then-radical principles of liberty and self-government, it details 27 scathing grievances against King George III of Great Britain, each written with rhetorical bite.
The document, of course, is the Declaration of Independence and ever since, both the Declaration of Independence, and the U. S. Constitution that followed, have inspired ordinary people to pursue egalitarian change.
Its first public reading took place on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia. Although the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, copies first had to be prepared, printed and distributed before it could be publicly proclaimed.
Following those first public readings in town squares and on village greens, bells rang, troops cheered, and citizens celebrated the colonies' official break from Britain.
Now, exactly 250 years later, the Declaration of Independence will be read again in Olympia beneath the Capitol Dome — and you are invited!
The Declaration of Independence begins with a careful, elegant explanation of principles — the big picture — before turning to a detailed indictment of the King. Not the polite, “It’s not you, it’s me” breakup, but “It’s you,” point by point.
This nationwide, and worldwide, reading of the Declaration of Independence was organized by the Hawaiʻi America250 Commission, inviting all Americans to participate simultaneously at the same moment. Termed, "Sharing the Spirit of America," the invitation declares:
Across the United States and on all seven continents from Europe and Africa, across North and South America across the Pacific, including Australia, to Asia and to Antarctica, we will read the Declaration of Independence together.
To ensure a simultaneous reading across time zones, scheduled start times were established for participants around the globe. Sites registered to participate, in addition to those in the 50 states, include Guam, American Samoa, Australia, Brazil, Morocco, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, France at the grave of Lafayette, and many others.
Locally, this event is coordinated by Art Dolan, a member and founding president of the George Rogers Clark Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).
Finding the state of Washington had no official reading planned, he enlisted members of the SAR and the Sacajawea Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution to participate. Fourteen descendants of revolutionary-era patriots will read a segment of the Declaration of Independence.
As Art explained: “Join us,” was the phrase used by Benjamin Franklin, and since this is one of our founding documents, it applies just as much today as it did 250 years ago.
Join us for introductory comments on the third floor beneath the Capitol Dome at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday July 8, 2026, with the reading promptly at 3 p.m. Hear the document read by descendant family members of Revolutionary War patriots.
The following are examples of the readers ancestors revolutionary-era service:
Other readers include Suzanne Schumann (Patriot Drewry Massey), Terry Church, Ken Graalum, Dick Moody, Eric Olsen, Dee Dee Simpson, David Raese and Thomas Sparks. Many readers trace their heritage to multiple revolutionary patriots —David Raese reports 54!
Event: 250th Anniversary - 1st reading of the Declaration of Independence by descendants of the families whose generation first heard it proclaimed 250 years ago
Where: Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Campus, third floor under the Capitol Dome in Olympia
When: Wed., July 8, 2026 3 p.m. (Arrive at 2:45 p.m. for introductory comments.)
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JamieR
As a proud descendant of a Hessian mercenary who fought for the British and then stayed on after their defeat, and as someone who has twice recited the entire Declaration from memory, once on the Capitol steps and once from the old Capitol steps overlooking Sylvester Park, I want to observe that if our founders had chosen to work within the system we'd all have health care and the First Nations would have greater control over their land. The greatness of the United States is not the slam dunk so many choose to believe.
Tuesday, June 16 Report this
Lindern
I learned through Family Search and other genealogy sources a number of years ago, that I not only am eligible to join the Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR, but learned last year, that I am also a descendant of President George Washington, as well as several other former Presidents. I am a 4th Cousin 7xr, through my fathers line. Prior to learning that, I had been proud to learn that cousins on my mothers side, Beltz, had taken supplies, in their own horse drawn wagons, to General George Washington, when they were encamped in Pennsylvania. My parents and grandparents, instilled in me a great feeling of patriotism through stories of my ancestors that they knew and remembered. I plan to write these stories, to be included with the rest of our Family History, that I have grown up listening to throughout my life, now 82 years young.
Tuesday, June 16 Report this