SWAMPSCOTT — Rep. Jenny Armini and the Swampscott Historical Commission invite residents, families, and visitors to gather for a public reading of the Declaration of Independence as part of the nationwide and statewide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The event will take place on Wednesday on the town lawn in front of the Elihu Thomson Administrative Building. Community members are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 p.m., ahead of the just-before-6 p.m. reading, joining cities and towns across Massachusetts in a shared civic moment organized in connection with the MA250 “Sharing the Spirit of America” initiative.
As part of the program, Armini will present the commission with a replica of the E. Russell of Salem copy of the Declaration of Independence in commemoration of the nation’s semiquincentennial. The original Salem broadside, printed in 1776 by E. Russell by order of authority, was among the printed copies that helped bring the Declaration’s words to communities throughout Massachusetts.
The local gathering recalls an important Revolutionary-era moment on the North Shore. On July 17, 1776, General John Glover gathered his regiment and Beverly townspeople at the parade ground that would become Independence Park to publicly proclaim the Declaration of Independence. Now 250 years later, Swampscott will join communities across the Commonwealth in reflecting on the enduring ideals, responsibilities, and promise expressed in the document.
“The Declaration of Independence belongs not only to history, but to every generation of Americans called to consider what liberty, equality, and self-government require of us,” the Swampscott Historical Commission stated. “We are grateful to Rep. Armini for marking this anniversary with a meaningful presentation that connects Swampscott residents to the printed words that helped carry independence across Massachusetts.”
The reading will be immediately followed by the scheduled Swampscott by the Sea Concert Series featuring “Pick 6.”
The event is free and open to the public. Residents are encouraged to bring family, friends, and neighbors and to take part in this historic community commemoration.
