Episode notes
August 2, 1776. Not the day they declared independence, but the day fifty-six men walked forward one at a time and signed their names to it, knowing exactly what it could cost them.
This letter was written for August 2, 2026 and published that day. The recordings are being added to the archive as they are made.
Sourced from the National Archives, the Library of Congress, Founders Online (Benjamin Rush's July 20, 1811 letter to John Adams), and the National Park Service's history of Independence Hall.
Cover photograph: Syng inkstand, made by Philip Syng, 1752, used at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Independence National Historical Park, National Park Service, catalog number INDE 11860.
Narration is AI-generated using a voice model trained on the author's own voice.