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.
In 1988, Morning Edition launched what has become an Independence Day tradition: hosts, reporters, newscasters and commentators reading the Declaration of Independence.
Church bells rang out over Philadelphia 243 years ago today as the Continental Congress adopted this draft of the Declaration of Independence.
Below is the original text of the Declaration of Independence, alongside photos of the NPR staff members who performed the reading.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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— Steve Inskeep
Mike Morgan / NPR
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— Rachel Martin
Mike Morgan / NPR
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— David Greene, NPR
/ Mike Morgan
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4 of 32
— Noel King
Mike Morgan / NPR
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5 of 32
— Don Gonyea
Doby Photography / NPR
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6 of 32
— Lauren Frayer
Sergey Gershkovich / NPR
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7 of 32
— Joe Palca
Mike Morgan / NPR
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8 of 32
— Audie Cornish
Allison Shelley / NPR
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9 of 32
— Shankar Vedantam
Douglas Sonders / NPR
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10 of 32
— Lulu Garcia-Navarro 2017 square
Stephen Voss / NPR
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11 of 32
— Sylvia Poggioli
Wanyu Zhang / NPR
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12 of 32
— Langfitt
/ Steve Barrett
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13 of 32
— Cheryl Corley
Allison Shelley / NPR
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14 of 32
— Nina Totenberg
Allison Shelley / NPR
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15 of 32
— Headshot of Scott Detrow, 2018
Stephen Voss / NPR
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16 of 32
— Michel Martin
Stephen Voss / NPR
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17 of 32
— Ayesha Rascoe at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2018. (photo by Allison Shelley)
Allison Shelley / NPR
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18 of 32
— Ofeibea Quist-Arcton speaks with an associate in the NPR office, 2006.
/ Jacques Coughlin
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19 of 32
— Mary Louise Kelly
Stephen Voss / NPR
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20 of 32
— Ailsa Chang
/ Mike Morgan/NPR
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21 of 32
— Sam Sanders
Corey Seeholzer / NPR
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22 of 32
— Renee Montagne
Allison Shelley / NPR
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23 of 32
— Anthony Kuhn
/ Wang Zemin
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24 of 32
— Gene Demby 2013
Kainaz Amaria / NPR
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25 of 32
— Ari Shapiro
Stephen Voss / NPR
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26 of 32
— Eyder Peralta
Kainaz Amaria / NPR
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27 of 32
— Susan Stamberg
Allison Shelley / NPR
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28 of 32
— Scott Horsley
Doby Photography / NPR
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29 of 32
— Cokie Roberts
Steve Fenn / ABC Inc.
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30 of 32
— David Greene
Mike Morgan / NPR
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31 of 32
— Rachel Martin
Mike Morgan / NPR
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32 of 32
— Steve Inskeep
Mike Morgan / NPR