Independence Day Display

Each year, as a nation, we celebrate July 4 as Independence Day to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The Declaration of Independence, being of central importance to American history and our U.S. legal system, is the focus of the Law Library's current Independence Day display. The display offers copies of the Declaration for reading and reflection, as well as the following titles in the Law Library's collection:

Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence: Origins, Philosophy, and Theology / by Allen Jayne

Declaring Independence: The Origin and Influence of America’s Founding Document: Featuring the Albert H. Small Declaration of Independence Collection / Christian Y. Dupont and Peter S. Onuf, editors

To Secure These Rights: The Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Interpretation / by Scott Douglas Gerber

The display also offers information about the history of the Declaration of Independence from the Library of Congress' Declaration of Independence Web Guide. The Web Guide provides a chronology of events leading up to and following July 4, 1776. For instance, did you know that the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence was not signed by most of the delegates until August 2, 1776? The Web Guide links to the Journals of the Continental Congress for this reference and many other interesting historical details.