250th Anniversary Reading of Commonwealth's Declaration of Independence

Former Pennsylvania Governors Tom Wolf and Mark Schweiker – joined by Benjamin Franklin – will lead a free public reading of Pennsylvania’s Declaration of Independence at Carpenters’ Hall, exactly 250 years after it was ratified there in 1776.

Connected to the America 250 commemoration, with a focus on a local Revolutionary-era story, this event brings to life the forgotten moment when delegates from across Pennsylvania declared independence from Britain, created the Commonwealth, and helped clear the way for the Declaration of Independence. It’s a chance for Philadelphians to step inside one of the city’s most historic spaces and experience a powerful, often-overlooked chapter of Pennsylvania history where it actually happened.