Editor's note on July 8, 2022: This story quotes the U.S. Declaration of Independence — a document that contains offensive language about Native Americans, including a racial slur.
Twenty-four years ago, Morning Edition launched what has become an Independence Day tradition: hosts, reporters, newscasters and commentators reading the Declaration of Independence.
It was 236 years ago this Wednesday that church bells rang out over Philadelphia, as the Continental Congress adopted Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence.
Below is the original text of the Declaration, alongside photos of the NPR staff members and contributors who performed the reading.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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— Steve Inskeep
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Renee Montagne
Renee Montagne
Doby Photography / NPR
![Paul Brown](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a1dfbd0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2192x1350+104+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2012%2F12%2F15%2Fpaulbrown_9_wide-f0870eb965a728cd442ad83a6c73918da7bac916.jpg)
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— Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Jean Cochran
Jean Cochran
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Julie McCarthy
Julie McCarthy
/ Wen Wang
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— Don Gonyea
Don Gonyea
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Deborah Amos
Deborah Amos
/ Steve Barrett
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— Chris Arnold
Chris Arnold
Doby Photography / NPR
![Mike Pesca](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/575abee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/128x79+6+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2012%2F12%2F15%2Fmpesca_wide-6794cd6f7a00749ef4abf1a97a1cb4b496d32450.jpg)
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— Mike Pesca
Mike Pesca
/ David Banks
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— Tamara Keith
Tamara Keith
Doby Photography / NPR
![Lourdes Garcia-Navarro](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0048bc8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/492x303+24+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2012%2F12%2F15%2Fgnavarro_wide-4532053260435ae4758949603b8e67e6783b5665.jpg)
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— Lourdes Garcia-Navarro
Lourdes Garcia-Navarro
/ Dario Lopez Mills
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— Sylvia Poggioli
Sylvia Poggioli
Kainaz Amaria / NPR
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— David Greene
David Greene
David Gilkey / NPR
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— Cheryl Corley
Cheryl Corley
Steve Barrett / NPR
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— Nina Totenberg
Nina Totenberg
Steve Barrett / NPR
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— Eric Westervelt
Eric Westervelt
/ NPR
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— Elizabeth Blair
Elizabeth Blair
Doby Photography / NPR
![Adam Davidson](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e022211/2147483647/strip/true/crop/411x253+20+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2012%2F12%2F15%2Fadavidson_wide-24321620cfed2737430175e063141ca32da4dfa5.jpg)
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— Adam Davidson
Adam Davidson
/ Jay Paul
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— Robert Smith
Robert Smith
Steve Barrett / NPR
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— Mara Liasson
Mara Liasson
Doby / NPR
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— Linda Wertheimer
Linda Wertheimer
/ Steve Barrett
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— Tom Goldman
Tom Goldman
/ Steve Barrett
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— Jackie Northam
Jackie Northam
/ skphotomedia
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— Michele Keleman
Michele Keleman
Doby / NPR
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— Ari Shapiro
Ari Shapiro
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Richard Knox
Richard Knox
/ Jacques Coughlin
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— Susan Stamberg
Susan Stamberg
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Scott Horsley
Scott Horsley
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Cokie Roberts
Cokie Roberts
Steve Fenn / ABC, Inc.
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— Renee Montagne
Renee Montagne
Doby Photography / NPR
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— Steve Inskeep
Steve Inskeep
Doby Photography / NPR