Worcester to Recreate Historic Reading of the Declaration of Independence
Community Reenactment Celebrates Worcester’s Revolutionary Legacy
“250 years ago, these people came together and here we are 250 years later and we should be unified and we should all be patriotic.”
By-Hank Stolz
Graphic – Radio Worcester
WORCESTER, MA-Two hundred fifty years after Worcester residents first gathered to hear the newly adopted Declaration of Independence, the city will recreate that historic moment on the steps of City Hall.
Organizer Kathi Roy joined Hank Stolz on Radio Worcester to preview the July 14 celebration, which commemorates the original public reading of the Declaration by printer and publisher Isaiah Thomas on July 14, 1776.
“Worcester really was instrumental in the beginning of our nation,” Roy said. “There’s a lot of history there.”
The event will recreate the historic gathering that occurred just ten days after delegates approved the Declaration in Philadelphia.
Roy says the anniversary is more than a history lesson—it’s an opportunity for the community to come together.
“250 years ago, these people came together and here we are 250 years later and we should be unified and we should all be patriotic.”
The morning begins at 9:45 a.m. with a town crier ringing an antique bell before the official ceremony starts at 10:00 a.m.
The Declaration of Independence will be read in 13 sections, representing each of the original colonies. The program also includes the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, patriotic music, and appearances by historical interpreters portraying George Washington and Isaiah Thomas.
Families will also have the opportunity to meet the Worcester Red Sox mascots, adding a community-friendly element to the historic celebration.
The event is being organized by local volunteers working alongside the Worcester Historical Museum and the American Antiquarian Society, with participation from city officials, educators, historians, and community organizations.
For Roy, the ceremony is an opportunity to recognize Worcester’s important place in American history while reminding residents that the ideals expressed in the Declaration continue to unite communities nearly two and a half centuries later.
Why July 14 Matters in Worcester History
While Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4, Worcester has its own important Revolutionary milestone.
The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, but copies had to be physically transported throughout the colonies. It wasn’t until July 14, 1776, that Worcester residents gathered to hear the document read publicly for the first time.
The reading was conducted by Isaiah Thomas, the influential patriot printer who had moved his printing press from Boston to Worcester before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Thomas would later found the American Antiquarian Society in 1812, one of the nation’s premier institutions for preserving early American history.
The July 14 ceremony helped spread news of independence throughout Central Massachusetts and symbolized Worcester’s early commitment to the Revolutionary cause. Today’s annual reenactment honors that historic moment while celebrating the city’s enduring role in the nation’s founding.
Sources
- Worcester Historical Museum
- American Antiquarian Society
- National Archives: Declaration of Independence
- Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
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