The Second Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776, but it had absolutely no plan for telling the world about it.

Congress sent just one copy of the Declaration to France. It was lost at sea. Printers ran the text however they liked. And the first formal acknowledgment of American independence came not from a European court, but from a Native American chief responding to a verbal translation of the Declaration in the middle of a treaty negotiation.

Historian and Declaration expert Emily Sneff joins us to explore what the Declaration of Independence looked like when it was just news — urgent, imperfect, and far beyond anyone's control.

Emily’s Website | Book |
Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/439

EPISODE OUTLINE
00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:07 The Declaration as a Congressional Product
00:06:28 Jefferson's humble signature
00:11:10 Congress Has No Plans for Circulation
00:16:22 News of the Declaration Breaks
00:24:36 Pubilc Readings of the Declaration
00:27:27 Ministers Spread News of the Declaration
00:32:57 German-American Translation of the Declaration
00:42:04 French Translation Failures
00:46:42 Verbal Translations of the Declaration
00:51:52 No Official Copy Sent to King George III
00:58:43 The Declaration of Independence as News
01:02:17 Time Warp
01:07:48 Upcoming 250th Exhibitions
01:11:24 Conclusion
RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES
🎧 Episode 018: Our Declaration
🎧 Episode 119: The Heart of the Declaration
🎧 Episode 141: A Declaration in Draft
🎧 Episode 388: John Hancock
🎧 Episode 415: The Many Declarations of Independence
🎧 Episode 431: Thomas Paine's Common Sense at 250
SUPPORT OUR WORK
🎁 Make a Donation to Ben Franklin’s World
REQUEST A TOPIC
📨 Topic Request Form
📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com
WHEN YOU'RE READY
🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter
👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community
🌍 Join the History Explorers Club
TAKE THE QUIZ
🧭 Discover How You Explore History (under 2 minutes)
👉 https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/quiz
LISTEN 🎧
🍎 Apple Podcasts
💚 Spotify
🎶 Amazon Music
🛜 Pandora
CONNECT
🦋 Liz on Bluesky
👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn
🛜 Liz’s Website
SAY THANKS
💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
💚 Leave a rating on Spotify
*Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

439 When the Declaration of Independence Was News