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.
1 of
— Steve Inskeep
Mike Morgan / NPR
2 of
— Rachel Martin
Mike Morgan / NPR
3 of
— David Greene, NPR
/ Mike Morgan
4 of
— Noel King
Mike Morgan / NPR
5 of
— Don Gonyea
Doby Photography / NPR
6 of
— Lauren Frayer
Sergey Gershkovich / NPR
7 of
— Joe Palca
Mike Morgan / NPR
8 of
— Audie Cornish
Allison Shelley / NPR
9 of
— Shankar Vedantam
Douglas Sonders / NPR
10 of
— Lulu Garcia-Navarro 2017 square
Stephen Voss / NPR
11 of
— Sylvia Poggioli
Wanyu Zhang / NPR
12 of
— Langfitt
/ Steve Barrett
13 of
— Cheryl Corley
Allison Shelley / NPR
14 of
— Nina Totenberg
Allison Shelley / NPR
15 of
— Headshot of Scott Detrow, 2018
Stephen Voss / NPR
16 of
— Michel Martin
Stephen Voss / NPR
17 of
— Ayesha Rascoe at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2018. (photo by Allison Shelley)
Allison Shelley / NPR
18 of
— Ofeibea Quist-Arcton speaks with an associate in the NPR office, 2006.
/ Jacques Coughlin
19 of
— Mary Louise Kelly
Stephen Voss / NPR
20 of
— Ailsa Chang
/ Mike Morgan/NPR
21 of
— Sam Sanders
Corey Seeholzer / NPR
22 of
— Renee Montagne
Allison Shelley / NPR
23 of
— Anthony Kuhn
/ Wang Zemin
24 of
— Gene Demby 2013
Kainaz Amaria / NPR
25 of
— Ari Shapiro
Stephen Voss / NPR
26 of
— Eyder Peralta
Kainaz Amaria / NPR
27 of
— Susan Stamberg
Allison Shelley / NPR
28 of
— Scott Horsley
Doby Photography / NPR
29 of
— Cokie Roberts
Steve Fenn / ABC Inc.
30 of
— David Greene
Mike Morgan / NPR
31 of
— Rachel Martin
Mike Morgan / NPR
32 of
— Steve Inskeep
Mike Morgan / NPR