Clinton to take part in ‘Sharing the Spirit of America’ event

A banner signifying the 250th anniversary of the United States of America’s independence is displayed on the fence outside of the Smith-Kimball Community Center in Clinton.

By BRAD HEINEMAN

Clinton Local

Public readings of the Declaration of Independence are planned across the country next week as the United States continues to celebrate its 250th anniversary.

Clinton is among the locations nationwide where the Declaration of Independence will be recited Wednesday, July 8.

Thanks to support from the America 250MI committee — which was formed in 2020 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to encourage and foster the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in Michigan communities — the Historical Society of Clinton has put together a slate of events for next week, all of which are intended to share the spirit of America.

“The Historical Society of Clinton invites you to a heartening outdoor observance of national pride — the ‘Sharing the Spirit of America’ event,” an announcement from the historical society said.

Held on the front lawn of the Smith-Kimball Community Center, 211 Tecumseh Road, the community ceremony invites everyone to come together for a time of reflection, music and patriotism. People are asked to arrive at the SKCC by 5:30 p.m. The actual reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place at 6 p.m. Attendees should bring their own chairs or blankets, as seating will be sparsely provided.

“Sharing the Spirit of America” is the theme of the synchronized public readings of the Declaration of Independence.

“This isn’t a reenactment; it’s a renewal,” America 250MI said in an email. “We’re inviting every community and municipality across Michigan — and reaching outward to the nation and the world — to hear and claim the promises that launched a nation.”

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the Declaration of Independence, which declared the 13 colonies free and sovereign states, independent from Great Britain. The first public reading of the Declaration took place July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia. 

To help communities participate, America 250MI has created an interactive map showing where the public readings will take place across Michigan. To view the map, visit tinyurl.com/Spirit-of-America-map.

Besides Clinton’s planned reading, the Lucy Wolcott Barnum Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), will host a Declaration of Independence reading at 6 p.m. July 8 at the Old Lenawee County Courthouse, 301 N. Main St. in Adrian. Morenci and its Stair District Library, 228 W. Main St., are planning a reading and discussion also at 6 p.m. next Wednesday.

Clinton’s itinerary for its “Sharing the Spirit of America” event is as follows:

• 5:30 p.m., arrival, welcoming of the public by Mark Jenkins and Village Brass Quintet performance.

• 5:45 p.m., singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” 

• 5:55 p.m., ringing of church bells across Clinton for two minutes.

• 6 p.m., reading of the Declaration of Independence by John Schuler III.

• 6:10 p.m., Pledge of Allegiance, led by local Girl Scouts chapter.

Following 6:10 p.m., American Legion Post 176 will conduct a gun salute and several community organizations will sponsor a picnic lunch/dinner with hot dogs, chips, water and cookies (while supplies last). Because of the limited amount of provided food to the public, attendees are being asked to bring their own picnic foods and beverages with them.

A Declaration of Independence banner that will be situated outside of the SKCC can be signed by people attending next week’s event. For the children, coloring items and puzzle activities will be supplied for their entertainment.

Who was Col. John Nixon?

Col. John Nixon is commonly identified as the first person to read the Declaration of Independence aloud in public shortly after it was adopted, America 250MI said.

While the details surrounding exactly who read the Declaration first and how that moment unfolded can vary depending on sources, Nixon’s role remains recognized as part of the early effort to make independence known in the streets and on the ground.

Nixon served in the Continental forces and was connected to the movement toward independence in Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary era. As independence became reality, the Declaration needed to be communicated publicly — not as a private statement, but as a message that would rally communities and define the new political order, the state committee said.

“In that context, reading the document aloud mattered,” America 250MI said. “In the 1770s, most people learned public news through proclamation and word of mouth. An authoritative voice reading the Declaration served as both an announcement and a legitimacy-building act — turning paper into public truth.

“…Even if the broader ‘first’ claim is discussed by historians in terms of location or chronology, Nixon’s association with the earliest public proclamation highlights a central truth: independence was meant to be heard.”

Nixon’s story also helps modern readers understand why public readings — like “Sharing the Spirit of America” — carry meaning beyond commemoration.

“They reinforce how the Declaration functioned in its own time: as a shared message brought directly to people,” America 250MI said.