Declaration Aloud

John Trumbull’s “The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776” (Photo –
IIP Photo Archive).

One thousand four hundred and fifty-eight words should take under twelve minutes to recite at a moderate pace.

By Glenn Storm

This Fourth of July holiday, as you gather with friends and family to celebrate the anniversary of our country’s independence, take the challenge of reading the Declaration of Independence aloud.

Last year, at this time, our family did this almost by accident, as we wondered which words and phrases we recalled were in the preamble of the Constitution, or in the Declaration of Independence. Word by word, and passage by passage, the declaration blossomed in the living room like a thoughtful poem, an investigative report, and a fiery sermon all rolled into one.

One thousand four hundred and fifty-eight words of defiance, clarity and resolution. One thousand four hundred and fifty-eight words of our heritage and history, marking the tipping point in which early Americans stood together, and launched an experiment in self-rule so bold that oblivion was a possibility.

One thousand four hundred and fifty-eight words, read aloud, for two hundred and forty-three years, … and counting.

A transcript of the Declaration of Independence can be found here.