Emily Sneff
Historian of the Declaration of Independence
Curator of Digital Content @declarationstories.bsky.social
- Pre-order When the Declaration of Independence Was News! Order through the Oxford University Press website and get 30% off ($20.99 + shipping) with code AAFLYG6 global.oup.com/academic/pro... No book about the Declaration is complete without a signature! Go to emilysneff.com/signing to learn more
- Kicking off 2026 with the 250th of Common Sense, written and first printed—like the Declaration of Independence—in Philadelphia Popped by the site of Robert Bell’s office this morning
- "This Day was/is Published" drives me *nuts*
- For those who are thinking about what it's like to live through historical events... Don't miss the CFP for the Experiencing Independence conference, focused on firsthand accounts and diverse perspectives from the American Revolution. Proposals due Friday! www.mceas.org/news/2025/11...
- Setting my sights on the semiquincentennial! 👓 2026 is going to be a big year with my new book, multiple articles, museum exhibitions, and a whole lot of talking about the Declaration of Independence 😮💨
- I met one of my dearest friends when she asked to be my lab partner in a chem class neither of us wanted to be in
- December 15: the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, signed by Frederick Muhlenberg as Speaker of the House of Representatives In 2026, Muhlenberg’s home will open to the public in Trappe, PA, after being saved from demolition and thoughtfully restored over the last 25 years
- The Virtual Workshops for the 250th are this Saturday, December 13! Please help spread the word to anyone who is prepping for the Semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Registration is $30 (free for NPS employees). declarationstories.org/workshops
- The historiography of the Declaration of Independence is absolutely dominated by men Which is why it is particularly cool that my book will be the first to be both written *and* blurbed by all female historians #womenalsoknowhistory
- Now is a good time to subscribe to the Declaration Stories weekly newsletter, if you haven't already!
- This week's story is about a missing word in the Declaration of Independence 😱 If you aren't subscribed to Declaration Stories, you can get weekly stories behind the founding document of the United States in your inbox every Wednesday leading up to the 250th 👉 declarationstories.org/subscribe
- If a certain new book about the Declaration of Independence is 80 pages and $20, then my book is a STEAL at almost 200 pages longer and $29, right? 🤔
- Authors! I am genuinely excited to create the index for my book but I am also a) very busy and b) getting over a nasty cold. Send me your indexing tips that don't involve getting someone else to do it or relying on AI!
- Reposted by Emily SneffNovember 7 marks the 250th anniversary of Dunmore's proclamation. Learn about the connection between Dunmore's promise of freedom from slavery and the Declaration of Independence, found in the pages of Dixon and Hunter's Virginia Gazette. 🔗: declarationstories.org/stories/dunmores-cruel-declaration
- Reposted by Emily SneffAre you subscribed to Declaration Stories? Weekly stories behind different copies of the Declaration of Independence continue on Wednesdays and daily emails with News from 1776 begin January 1! 👉 declarationstories.org/subscribe
- Reposted by Emily SneffThis week's story is brought to you by the letter "C" for Collaboration! After the war fractured his partnership with Benjamin Edes, John Gill worked alongside Powars and Willis to create a broadside of the Declaration of Independence in Boston. declarationstories.org/stories/american-broadside
- Reposted by Emily SneffJuly 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—is 250 days away! Are you ready? Follow @declarationstories.bsky.social for weekly glimpses into the early history of the founding document of the United States
- Reposted by Emily SneffIn 1776, New England became Independent! In the title of a Boston newspaper, at least. This week's story is about the New-England Chronicle at @bpl.boston.gov and the men who took it over shortly before the Declaration of Independence. declarationstories.org/stories/new-england-becomes-independent
- Appreciate this generous perspective on The Declaration's Journey at @amrevmuseum.bsky.social from Mark Segal. At the opening last night, he told me that he was so proud as a Philadelphian and could not imagine a Declaration of Independence exhibition ever topping this one epgn.com/2025/10/14/o...
- Had so much fun recording this episode with @katyghistory.bsky.social and @jeanettepatrick.bsky.social that I had to bring it to @declarationstories.bsky.social! Much more to come about Polly Palmer in When the Declaration of Independence Was News--coming in exactly 6 months 😱
- How do you tell the story of a copy of the Declaration of Independence that doesn't exist anymore? This week's newsletter focuses on Polly Palmer, with help from the @rrchnm.bsky.social podcast Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant declarationstories.org/stories/miss-polly-or-myra
- Had a fun conversation this morning with Bob Allison and @revolution250.bsky.social about all things Declaration—from @declarationstories.bsky.social to the book to The Declaration’s Journey (opening this weekend at @amrevmuseum.bsky.social!) www.buzzsprout.com/1336051/epis...
- In the OUP Spring–Summer 2026 catalogue: When the Declaration of Independence Was News! 😍
- Reposted by Emily SneffWhat's in the Declaration? How do you plan an event around a public reading? What has July 4 looked like over the past 250 years? These ?s and more will be answered during the Virtual Workshops for the 250th! November 15, 2025 -- three workshops on Zoom in one day declarationstories.org/workshops
- Reposted by Emily SneffIn this week's Declaration Stories, @emilysneff.bsky.social explores the work of Benjamin Towne, whose Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first English-language newspaper to print the Declaration in July 1776. www.declarationstories.org/stories/earl...
- Fit check for Revolutionary Germantown x Red October
- Reposted by Emily SneffDid people in London really buy John Hancock's portrait "merely for the sake of hanging him up"? 😳 Learn about @jcblibrary.bsky.social's broadside of the Declaration of Independence in this week's story: declarationstories.org/stories/hanging-up-hancock
- Coming April 15, 2026! The nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. Pre-order information (and discount code!) will be available in the new year.
- Reposted by Emily SneffYES!!!!
- This. I have seven part-time/consultant positions at the moment. Any writing or peer review I do beyond those contracts--including work on my own book and public-facing project--is unpaid time. Having to say I'm an Independent Scholar feels untrue. I'm just dependent on more than one institution.
- Reposted by Emily SneffThis week's story is for fans of footnotes! Read or subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories/self-evident-falsehood
- Shout out to @boston1775.bsky.social for doing a deep dive on Independence Booth a few years back, when I was first digging into what is now the latest story behind the Declaration of Independence for @declarationstories.bsky.social
- The Hartford Courant claims the title of the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. Two weeks after printing the Declaration of Independence, the Courant had news of a different Independence--a baby girl. Read or subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories/independence-baby
- Reposted by Emily SneffEight stories down, many more to come! 📬 declarationstories.org to read or subscribe Learn about the earliest printings and translations, and all the people involved in the process of declaring independence
- Looking for a pocket Declaration of Independence? More than likely, it includes the Constitution. It's SUPER important to read the Constitution, but for the 250th, it's also important to have handheld copies of the Declaration on its own, in its own context. @declarationstories.bsky.social
- These booklets will include a short introduction from me, the full text as printed by John Dunlap, a brief timeline of the Declaration from the debates to the signing, and a list of the signers. Available soon in bulk at a low cost, plus an opportunity to donate to support free distribution.
- There are so many interesting stories about the Declaration from 1776--it will be a fun read for the 250th in 2026!
- Wonderful news @emilysneff.bsky.social ! Anything interesting our followers should know about this book while we wait for the cover drop? 👀
- A bit of good news on a Friday: My book exists on the OUP website 🙌 When the Declaration of Independence Was News, coming April 15, 2026! global.oup.com/academic/pro...
- Reposted by Emily SneffA Dunlap broadside left Philadelphia in July 1776 but never reached its intended destination. It will return to Philadelphia for The Declaration's Journey at @amrevmuseum.bsky.social This week's story: declarationstories.org/stories/full-circle Learn more: www.jewishexponent.com/museum-of-th...
- “Telling Jonas Phillips’ full story is something the Museum of the American Revolution is uniquely qualified to do, and introducing people who come to the museum to this uniquely Philadelphian story is a great starting point for the exhibition.”
- Always good to see @kawulf.bsky.social in action! Talking Lineage and how genealogy really did actually exist in colonial British America
- Reposted by Emily SneffA cat lady, a closet of family papers, and the Declaration of Independence. In this week's story, learn about Isaiah Dunster's broadside, passed down to his daughter Hannah and eventually out of the family. declarationstories.org/stories/in-the-family
- Reposted by Emily SneffIf you're going to have a short-lived newspaper, at least let it live through interesting times! That's the story behind the American Gazette, which featured the #DeclarationofIndependence #onthisday in 1776. Read or subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories
- This makes me so happy 😊 Me and @kawulf.bsky.social, back-to-back on @bfworld.bsky.social!
- I swear, we recorded this before alligator prisons were back in the news again
- John Hancock’s signature is famous. But what about the printer imprisoned with alligators? 🐊 Our new episode dives into the wild stories behind the Declaration’s many copies. #EarlyAmerica #History #FourthofJuly #July4th #America250 #Revolution250 #Podcasts 🎧 www.benfranklinsworld.com/415
- Would love for the president to read the US Declaration of Independence, but failing that, he could read the Liberian Declaration: "We uttered our complaints, but they were unattended to, or only met by alledging the peculiar institutions of the country." babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=md...
- Reposted by Emily SneffHow did The City That Reads first get to read the Declaration of Independence? Because of John Dunlap's Baltimore newspaper, printed #onthisday in 1776. But, wasn't John Dunlap in Philadelphia? Get the story at the link, or subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories
- Reposted by Emily SneffLast week's story was all about German translation. What will this week's story be? Subscribe ➡️ declarationstories.org/stories
- Book tour loading . . . Get in touch if you want to schedule an event or see an event happen in your area! emilysneff.com
- Reposted by Emily Sneff🎧 NEW EPISODE Think there’s just one Declaration of Independence? Historian Emily Sneff joins us to reveal the MANY versions—and how each tells a different story of 1776. #History #USHistory #FourthOfJuly #DeclataionofIndepednence #America250 #Revolution250 🔗 www.benfranklinsworld.com/415
- Reposted by Emily SneffWhat’s the most asked question about the Declaration of Independence? Emily Sneff has heard them all—and answers some of yours in our latest episode. 📜 Myths, manuscripts, missing minutes—it’s all here. #USHistory #History #America250 #Rev250 #July4th 🎧 www.benfranklinsworld.com/415
- Reposted by Emily SneffThis is the one for today. The great @emilysneff.bsky.social and her powerful research on the travels of the Declaration of Independence. #July4th
- Reposted by Emily SneffIt’s wonderful to finally have Emily front of mic. She’s a very talented historian and one of the foremost experts on the Declaration of Independence. I hope you enjoy the episode, it’s a fun and fascinating one!
- My history with @bfworld.bsky.social goes back years. I've brainstormed with @lizcovart.bsky.social, I've been her intern, I'm very grateful to be her friend, and now I'm her guest! We cover some of the most asked questions about the #DeclarationofIndependence 🎧 Listen to Episode 415!
- My history with @bfworld.bsky.social goes back years. I've brainstormed with @lizcovart.bsky.social, I've been her intern, I'm very grateful to be her friend, and now I'm her guest! We cover some of the most asked questions about the #DeclarationofIndependence 🎧 Listen to Episode 415!
- Subscribe today--you won't want to miss the first story next week!
- The weekly Declaration Stories newsletter begins next Wednesday! Every copy of the Declaration of Independence as a story to tell. Subscribe for a full year of stories to commemorate the semiquincentennial. 🎆 declarationstories.org/stories
- This wall at the Independence Visitor Center used to be filled with books and now it is... not No offense to the 50th anniversary of Rocky, but as someone who has been working on a book carefully timed for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, this is not a great look for my city.
- Case studies in social media, ratios, and why the history of the American Revolution is difficult to navigate at this anniversary moment: MoAR gets slammed for offering lesser known histories during Pride America250 gets slammed for promoting the Grand Military Parade on the US Army anniversary
- Reposted by Emily SneffONE MONTH until the Declaration Stories weekly newsletter! You won't want to miss the first story. Subscribe: declarationstories.org/stories
- Book manuscript is done and headed to copy editing 🙌 I am looking forward to working with Oxford University Press on the next stages of preparation and production for When the Declaration of Independence Was News, coming spring 2026! In the meantime, enjoy one of my favorite footnotes 😊
- YES Dr. @katytelling.bsky.social! 👏
- Edited my chapter on the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence this afternoon and thought I was hallucinating when @jeopardyofficial.bsky.social had a clue about July 8, 1776
