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When The Declaration of Independence Was News

Weekday, Month 31 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Join us for the next program in the Generation Declaration series, “When the Declaration of Independence Was News,” with Historian of the Declaration of Independence Emily Sneff.

FOR MORVEN MEMBERS

Please note that you must login into your Morven Member account in the upper righthand corner of the registration page in order to access the member rate.

When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.

This program will be offered in a hybrid format, offering both in-person and virtual tickets. Virtual attendees will receive a Zoom webinar link with their registration confirmation email. Copies of When the Declaration of Independence Was News will be available for purchase and signing with the author following the talk. Your ticket includes access to visit the museum any time between 10 a.m. and the start of the program at 2 p.m.

About Emily Sneff

Dr. Emily Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. She earned her Ph.D. in History from William & Mary. She is a consulting curator for exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic Trappe. She is the author of When the Declaration of Independence Was News.

About the Generation Declaration Series

2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Join Morven, the home of a Signer, as we dive into all things Declaration with a new public program series. Generation Declaration invites public historians, scholars, and writers to share their work researching little known or underrepresented aspects of America’s founding document. 

Join us in discovering: Who was this document written for and why? How was it printed and represented visually? What did news outlets have to say about it? In what ways has the document been repurposed for other movements for justice and independence?