In an extraordinary coincidence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Not knowing that Jefferson had died mere hours earlier, Adams’s last words were, “Jefferson still lives.” Their lifelong correspondence provides deep insight into the philosophical debates that shaped early American governance and reveals a complex relationship between the two friends– turned–rivals, who reconciled in later years. In yet another strange coincidence, exactly five years later, on July 4, 1831, former U.S. President James Monroe died.

A widely held misconception about the Declaration of Independence is it was signed on July 4, 1776. It was actually formally declared on July 2, 1776, with John Adams stating he believed that date would be “the most memorable epocha in the history of America.” Then on July 4, 1776, Congress approved the final text of the Declaration and on August 2, 1776, the document was officially signed by the 56 delegates in the Pennsylvania State House. John Hancock’s signature was prominently featured in the center, signifying his status as the President of the Congress. 

On July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence when the clock struck noon in the State House Yard in Philadelphia. The location is now known as Independence Square. Bells would toll across the city well into the night in celebration. 

After the Declaration was approved on July 4, 1776, John Dunlap, the official printer of the Continental Congress, was charged with making copies. He made about 200 copies, known as Dunlap Broadsides. Only 26 copies of that first printing have survived, with two located at the National Archives. The Continental Congress ordered copies sent to the British Crown in London, as well as other governmental authorities and military commanders.