Topic: America 250: Going Viral in 1776—How the Press Spread Independence
When: Tuesday 7/28/2026 at 2:00 pm ET
How did the momentous words of the Declaration of Independence spread from a closed room in Philadelphia to thirteen distinct colonies in a matter of weeks?
Long before the internet or telegraph, the survival of the American Revolution relied on the printing press. In July 1776, it wasn’t just horseback riders carrying the news of independence; it was brave newspaper publishers who risked everything to mass-produce the Founders’ words.
Starting with the famous Dunlap Broadsides printed on the night of July 4th, the Declaration quickly found its way into colonial newspapers, beginning with The Pennsylvania Evening Post on July 6th. By the end of the month, printing presses from New England to the Deep South had turned a closed-door political decision into a viral sensation, uniting the public and rallying local militias.
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Meet the Guest
Gary Porter
Gary Porter is the founder and former Executive Director of the Constitution Leadership Initiative (CLI), a project to promote a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution by the American people. Gary presents talks on various Constitutional topics, writes periodic essays published on several different websites, and appears in period costume as James Madison, explaining to public and private school students “his” (i.e., Madison’s) role in the creation of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. In 2023, Gary served as chair of the Virginia Delegation in a simulated Article V Convention of the States held in Williamsburg, Virginia. Gary can be reached at constitutionlead@gmail.com.