On July 4, 1776 a fledgling Congress unanimously voted to adopt The Declaration of Independence. It contained a long list of grievances of our Colonies against the King of England, accusing him of abusing the rights of English citizens. Make this 4th of July, the 250th Anniversary of its signing, the time to get reacquainted with our nation’s founding document.

Join others on Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 9:00 am on the grounds of the Portsmouth Free Public Library to read portions aloud. Copies of the document will be available in both small and large print. Children are welcome to read a passage and feel more confident if they can practice at home.

We gather outside, so bring your own chairs or blankets to sit on. Dress for the weather. In case of rain we will meet inside the library in the Mello Program Room.

Please contact the library at events@portsmouthlibrary.org or (401) 683-9457 with questions about the event.