After the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the delegates spread the word as quickly as possible by publishing it on a broadside sheet and delivering it throughout the Colonies. Copies of the Dunlap Broadside (named after the printer) are now extremely rare, with only about two dozen copies known to surive. The Library has two, one of which belonged to George Washington.
The Library of Congress has joined with other federal agencies to begin the celebration of the United States Semiquincentennial and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
The Library kicks off Black History Month with a new By the People crowdsourcing project -- transcribing the papers in the William A. Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection.
Julie Miller, the Library's historian of early America, explains in this short video how Americans began the tradition of presidential inaugurations with the ceremonies for George Washington.
The Library is the 2021 recipient of the Bernardo de Galvez award, given by the Fundacion Consejo Espana-Estados Unidos to American citizens or institutions who help promote and nurture relations between Spain and the United States.
