Sharing the Spirit of America is the brainchild of Peter T. Young, a team member from the America250 Team in Hawai'i. America250MI would like to recognize and thank Peter for dedicating the past two years of his life to making Sharing the Spirit of America a reality. Your time, care, and commitment have helped bring this meaningfulmoment to life—and we are truly grateful.
With heartfelt appreciation, we thank you for helping inspire communities across the Islands of Hawai'i, the state of Michigan, the nation, and the entire world!
Mahalo—a heartfelt gratitude for life's blessings—for all you’ve done!
Sharing the Spirit of America July 8, 1776 July 8, 2026
Commemorating the First Reading of the Declaration of Independence
Welcome! Join communities across Michigan on July 8, 2026, to publicly read the Declaration of Independence—here’s when, where, and how to take part.
How it Works
a statewide moment you can make your own
On July 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM EDT (5:00 PM CDT), Michigan will lift its voice—together—in a synchronized reading of the Declaration of Independence. This isn’t a reenactment; it’s a renewal. We’re inviting every community, in multiple languages, to hear and claim the promises that launched a nation.
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Everyone belongs here. If the Declaration doesn’t speak to you directly, your voice still matters. Hosts may include brief, respectful alternative voices that reflect the founding principles—consent of the governed, unalienable rights, equal dignity under the law—so that every person is seen and heard.
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The Declaration’s words—“all men are created equal”—were proclaimed by a small circle of wealthy, well‑educated men in powdered wigs, many of whom denied those very rights to others. And yet those words sparked Unfinished Revolutions: abolishing slavery; restoring and lifting Indigenous voices; expanding the vote; welcoming immigrants; empowering civil rights and labor movements; sending girls to school—then into laboratories—legislatures—and low Earth orbit. The arc is imperfect—and still bending—because ordinary people keep showing up to make the text true.
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At its heart, this event affirms two enduring truths: “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,” and “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal… endowed… with certain unalienable Rights… among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” On July 8, we gather not only to read these words, but to live them—locally, lawfully, and together.
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Steps at a glance...
Host or RSVP
Decide whether you’ll host a local reading or join one nearby. Any venue works—courthouse, library, park, museum, house of worship, community center, or your own front porch!
Hosts: register your event for statewide visibility, support, and inclusion on the interactive map.
Attendees: use the map to find an event and RSVP if requested—otherwise, simply show up and add your voice.
Find or showcase events statewide. Filter by location, language, accessibility (ASL, captions, accessible seating), and livestream options.
Download Center
One download, everything you need: run-of-show (30–45 minutes), emcee script, land acknowledgment, checklists, printables, social posts, press templates, livestream guide, and certificates—so planning is simple and welcoming.
5. Multilingual
Resource Center
The Declaration of Independence in English plus additional languages—so readers and audiences can engage in the language they call home!
6. Branding
and Media Kit
America250MI Branding Guide, required crediting guidance and logo files, sample credit lines, press materials, social media templates, and hashtags. This keeps communications consistent and ensures America250MI is properly credited across all media.
Respect and Safety Code
Clear answers and standards for an inclusive, nonpartisan, family-friendly gathering—covering ADA access, large-print texts, ASL/captions, media consent, and a simple code of respect so every participant feels welcome and safe.
Step 1. Choose Your Path—Host or Join
“When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”
—Thomas Jefferson
Your choice is simple and powerful: host a local reading or join one nearby. Either way, your voice helps remind our government that legitimate power begins and ends with the people.
Hosting is civic hospitality. Invite your community to a 30–45 minute gathering at a courthouse, library, park, museum, house of worship, community center, or even your front porch. Choose the language(s), set a welcoming tone, and—if you wish—include brief, respectful alternative voices that reflect founding principles: consent of the governed, unalienable rights, and equal dignity under the law.​
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Joining is just as essential. Show up, lend your presence and voice, and help widen the circle of “We the People.” If the Declaration hasn’t always felt like it included you, you still belong here—this moment is for everyone.
Step 3. Interactive Map
“I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the
Declaration of Independence.”
—Abraham Lincoln
The Sharing the Spirit of America Map is Michigan’s interactive guide to the statewide public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 2026. It helps you find host sites, events, and partner activities near you, with multilingual options and accessibility details to ensure everyone can participate. Each pin reveals essential information—venue name, address, RSVP options, contact, and links to promotional resources—so you can plan with confidence. The map is powered by submissions through the Sharing the Spirit of America Google Doc, ensuring accuracy and timely updates. Whether you’re planning to participate, volunteer, or host, this map connects you to a statewide network and makes it easy to join in and celebrate together.
Colonel John Nixon:
A radical idea is read out loud
Colonel John Nixon (1733-1808)
Portrait by Gilbert Stuart
Courtesy Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
On July 8, 1776, when Colonel John Nixon first read the Declaration of Independence aloud in Philadelphia’s State House Yard, he wasn’t simply announcing a break with Britain—he was voicing a radical idea: that legitimate power comes from the consent of the governed, not from the crown or the sword. In that moment, a public reading became a public promise—one we are still striving to keep.​
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Born in Hawai‘i as a community tradition, Sharing the Spirit of America has grown, neighbor‑to‑neighbor, into a nationwide event—across all 50 states and the nine U.S. territories—of publicly reading the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 2026, at precisely the same time that John Nixon first read it, 6:00 PM EDT.
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In 2026, Michigan joins this chorus—inviting towns, campuses, libraries, tribal communities, faith groups, veterans’ halls, and families to gather in public spaces and lend their voices to a founding text that still challenges us to become our best selves.​
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Bring your voice. Bring your family. Bring your story. Read with us—then keep working—to secure Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness for everyone who calls Michigan, and the United States of America, home.
The Declaration’s words—“all men are created equal”—were proclaimed by a small circle of wealthy, well‑educated men in powdered wigs, many of whom denied those very rights to others. And yet those words sparked Unfinished Revolutions: abolishing slavery; restoring and lifting Indigenous voices; expanding the vote; welcoming immigrants; empowering civil rights and labor movements; sending girls to school, then into laboratories, legislatures, and low Earth orbit. The arc is imperfect—and still bending—because ordinary people keep showing up to make the text true.
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​On July 8, let's gather not to idolize the past, but to engage it—reading together a clear civic standard: governments are legitimate only when their authority rests on the consent of the governed. When institutions fall short, the responsibility to improve them belongs to all of us. This public reading asks us to hear the words, listen to one another, measure ideals against realities, and carry those Unfinished Revolutions forward.
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Bring your voice. Bring your family. Bring your story. Read with us—then keep working—to secure Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness for everyone who calls Michigan, and the Unites States of America, home.
