Reproductions of the Declaration of Independence have been delivered to more than 350 communities across Massachusetts as part of a statewide America 250 initiative marking the nation’s semi-quincentennial.
The hand-printed documents have been distributed to town halls, libraries and historical societies, with each community deciding where and how they will be displayed. Some locations have already placed copies alongside original historical materials, including 1776-era documents.
Visitors to the state are encouraged to contact individual communities directly.
The distribution was a central tenant of “Declaration Delivery Day”, a project led by Revolution 250, involving hand-printing using traditional 18th-century techniques at the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of the graphic arts, printing, and typesetting.
Jonathan Lane, Declaration Delivery Day’s Executive Director, said the initiative marks a key milestone in long-term commemorations across Massachusetts
“Passing our final copies of the Declaration at the State House was one of Revolution 250’s proudest moments,” he said.
“Declaration Delivery Day is one of Revolution 250’s final and most impactful commemorative events for the nation’s semi-quincentennial anniversary, and it has been an honour to pay homage to American history in this way.”
Further events in Massachusetts this year included the Fourth of July celebrations in Boston, and the First Treaty” commemoration in Watertown, which was signed on July 19, 1776, and was historically momentous because it is recognised as the very first international treaty signed by the newly formed U.S. after declaring independence from Britain.
The treaty established a military alliance between the U.S. and the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet (St. John’s) First Nations of eastern Canada and Maine.
Also planned are historical re-enactments at venues such as Old Sturbridge Village and the Sudbury Colonial Fayre.
Visitors to the state are being pointed towards the “Declarations Trail”, a collaborative exhibition across Greater Boston marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
It connects four major institutions and six galleries, which are bringing together more than a dozen rare historical printings of the Declaration to showcase how the document was read and reimagined. These include Boston Library, Harvard University and The Boston Athenæum.
discovernewengland.org; meetboston.com
