Rep. Boice: Join nationwide communal Declaration-Independence reading

By Oregon State Representative Court Boice,

Happy INDEPENDENCE DAY, United States of America! How blessed and fortunate we are to live here, especially at this time and in this place we call home!

On July 8, 2026, communities across the nation will unite in a simultaneous reading of the Declaration of Independence, commemorating its first public reading 250 years ago on July 8, 1776.

Organized by the Hawai’i America250 Commission, “Sharing the Spirit of America” invites Americans to come together — despite spanning 9,500 miles and nine time zones — to read the Declaration at the same time, beginning at 3pm PT.

The America 250 Oregon Commission will participate in the event with a public reading in the Oregon Historical Society’s research library.

Four days before this first reading of the Declaration, the Second Continental Congress was concluding its debate on the statement that would present the colonies’ case for independence to the world. A committee of five men were appointed to write the statement: John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert Livingston of New York, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia.

The committee selected Jefferson to write the first draft, which was edited by Franklin and Adams, and then by Congress. The Declaration was signed by 56 men who knew their signatures could cost them their lives — yet willingly signed this monumental document.

This simple yet powerful act honors our shared history and reaffirms the principles of freedom and unity that continue to guide the nation 250 years later. View a list of readings happening state and nationwide on the Hawai’i America250 Commission website.