Posted on 07/04/2013 9:55:12 PM PDT by Jeff Winston
I was wondering what the newspaper coverage was when the Declaration of Independence was signed. They DID have newspapers in those days!
I think the initial reaction was simply to print the Declaration in its entirety. The first newspaper to do so seems to have been the Pennsylvanischer Staatsbote, which printed the Declaration (in German translation) the next day, July 5, 1776.
Below is an image of that printing.
I would be interested to see other early coverage of the fact that Independence had been declared.
Very cool. Pinging our resident AmRev specialist.
It may be that the Staatsbote didn't print the entire thing. I've seen the Pennsylvania Evening Post credited with being the "first newspaper to print the entire Declaration of Independence."
Price only Two Coppers! :-)
Hmmm... looks like the whole thing to me (in the Staatsbote).
Obviously not an exact replica, though, being in German translation.
It was also read again that evening before the militia on the Commons. Throughout the city, bells were rung all day.
On that day as well the Declaration was publicly read in Easton, Pennsylvania, and Trenton, New Jersey. It was these first public readings which constituted America's first celebrations of the Fourth of July.
Typically in towns and cities across the nation accompanying the oral declarations were loud shouts, huzzas, firings of muskets, and the tearing down of the British emblems.
In Baltimore, for example, on July 29, the town was illuminated and "the Effigy of our late King was carted through the town and committed to the flames amidst the acclamations of many hundreds. The just reward of a Tyrant."
The originals look more readable than the one that graced the Jackson Sun in their 7/4 edition. It was so blurry, I was afraid I’d suffered a minor stroke
Lol. And that’s LOW-RESOLUTION.
I’d be curious about what papers around the world had to say about it. France could be interesting since they were an ally but not exactly pushing freedom at home.
simply would not do in American Journalism today where the Press tells the people what is fit to be “news” and does not trust the people to be able to interpret “facts” without journalistic spin.Today the press would have to have the politician-or their attorney/lobbyist write the interpretation and leave the Declaration to be printed for Government eyes only.
Just think. The vote to establish a national language, as it were in the days of the Colonies, came down to either the English language, or the German language.
The English language won the vote, by a single vote!
“Ich bin ein Amerikaner!”
(With the published disdain and hatred Obama has for Europe, could you see him really speaking in German?)
Ja, Ich bin ein Stehsprechler!
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...
And of course all of you know that the General did not sign because he was in NYC attempting to defend against an anticipated Brit attack. He had it read to his troops there on July 9.
The English language won the vote, by a single vote!
Hmmm... Interesting. Appears to be an urban legend, though. :-)
No, I didn't know that. Thanks for the contribution of your knowledge to the thread!
THAT is extremely cool! Thanks!
After first arriving in London on August 10, one of the first official British newspaper reports about the Declaration of Independence was published in the August 10 to 13, 1776, London Chronicle. While the full printing of the Declaration appeared four days later in the August 17 issue of the Chronicle, the August 13 issue features on page three a brief, but hugely significant and historically important breaking news announcement:
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