America 250: 7 important dates for the Declaration of Independence
7. London learns of the declaration — Aug. 10, 1776
Across the Atlantic Ocean, people in London, England, first learned about the Declaration of Independence on Aug. 10, over a month after it was adopted.
Amid information about the ongoing rebellion in America, The London Gazette published a report noting in passing “that the Continental Congress have declared the United Colonies free and independence states.”
Later that month, multiple British newspapers published the Declaration of Independence, sometimes without comment, other times with critical editorial feedback.
“For the most part, the British press seemed to dismiss the Declaration and the grievances of the colonists,” explained The British Newspaper Archive in a 2017 blog entry.
“However, through the popularity of people such as [Welsh preacher Richard Price], it is evident that some took up the cause of the American rebels and supported their independence.”
