The Jacksonville Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will host a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and bell ringing Wednesday, July 8, on the steps of Orange Park Town Hall, 2042 Park Ave., in Orange Park.
The Spirit of America Celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. with bell ringing. At 6 p.m., members of the Jacksonville Chapter will join SAR chapters nationwide in a simultaneous reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The national reading commemorates the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. Four days after the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration, citizens were summoned to Philadelphia’s State House Yard by the ringing of the city’s bells, and the Declaration was read aloud on the steps of Independence Hall.
“Although America spans thousands of miles and multiple time zones, SAR chapters across the country will read the Declaration of Independence together at the same time,” the chapter said in announcing the event.
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and teaching American history to future generations. Membership requires verifiable lineage to an ancestor who supported the Revolutionary War. The Jacksonville Chapter, with nearly 200 members, offers processes and guidance to help prospective members trace those connections.
For information about local genealogical research, contact Gray Chandler, chapter registrar, at chan840@bellsouth.net or 904-303-9170. Additional information about upcoming events may be found on the Jacksonville Chapter, Florida Society, Sons of the American Revolution Facebook page.
