07/01/2026
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Four days later, on July 8, 1776, the Declaration was read publicly for the very first time by Colonel John Nixon.
250 years later, voices across the nation will once again read out the Declaration of Independence. Sharing the Spirit of America is a program that commemorates this historic moment. It provides Americans the opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past; celebrate our rich history and shared values; and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.
“You have to admit, it’s waaay cool that Americans across the United States as well as on all 7 continents, from Europe and Africa, North and South America, across the Pacific (including Australia), Asia, and Antarctica, will be doing something positive together.”
“We will be reading the founding document of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, ‘together’ at the same moment in time,” said Peter T. Young, Designer and Coordinator of ‘Sharing the Spirit of America.
Join us at Charles Pinckney National Historic Site at 6 pm on July 8, 2026 to mark this milestone date with a reading by a park ranger of the Declaration. Charles Pinckney NHS is located at 1254 Long Point Road in Mt. Pleasant. For more information, call (843) 883-3123.
Image: A 15-star, 15-stripe US flag flies over Fort Moultrie with a blue sky in the background
