Houlton was one of six Maine locations to read the Declaration of Independence aloud, in unison with other voices in all 50 states, five territories, the District of Columbia, and minor outlying islands of the United States, in commemoration of the document’s first public reading on July 8, 1776.
The coordinated effort, “Sharing the Spirit of America,” brings the nation’s founding document to life, serving as a reminder of America’s operating principles, organizers said.
“The declaration was a radical statement, proclaiming something altogether new in the world,” said Houlton organizer Rev. Mary Miller. “Government by the people rather than by a monarch or dictator, and the right and duty to overthrow tyranny.”
Miller pointed out that while the document said “all men are created equal,” that privilege did not yet extend to Indigenous, enslaved or free Black people, the poor or women.
In Maine, there were readings in multiple locations including Portland, Augusta, the unorganized territory near Greenville, Houlton and Presque Isle.
While many of the readings were slated for 6 p.m. Eastern time, the Houlton reading was at noon in an iconic setting on the front steps of the Houlton Historical Society.
On July 4, 1776, 12 of the 13 colonies voted in favor of the document but New York officials were unable to vote until the New York Convention gave its approval on July 9, according to America 250 Hawaii. And it wasn’t until August 2 that the document was signed.
“When we talk about America 250, this is the document that we’re really celebrating,” Mary Beth DiMarco said. “We like our parades and our picnics, but this is what we are celebrating, and this is the day it was first read to the public.”
The declaration includes a long list of grievances against King George III of England including “quartering large bodies of troops among the people and for protecting them from punishment for any murders they should commit on the inhabitants of the states.”
The entire 1,337 words of the Declaration of Independence were read line by line with a diverse cast of young people, town leaders and retirees, taking about 25 minutes.
Americans need to pay attention to the history and where the nation has been, Miller said.
“There is a lot of pain in the history of our country but there is also a lot to be proud of and it started there,” she said, referring to the declaration. “It’s also important to come together as a community and have different voices, different ages speaking the words of our founding fathers.”
The reading in Houlton was organized by Restore, a local grassroots community and justice organization. Pocket copies of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S.
Constitution were distributed during the event.
