Celebrate 250 Years of American Independence!
Exhibit Now on Display at the Huntington Public Library Main Branch
Welcome
July 4, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; officially proclaiming the Thirteen Colonies as free and independent states from the British Empire.
This exhibit series explores that pivotal chapter in history while celebrating Huntington, New York’s distinctive place in the American story, connecting our town’s past to the nation’s enduring journey toward freedom.
Created by John N. Daniello for Huntington Public Library, this exhibit invites you to explore our local history through a bi-monthly panel series on display from January through July 2026.
This online companion allows you to dive even deeper into the exhibit with added details, stories and discoveries.
King James I granted charters to colonize the east coast of North America in 1606. The following year, The Colony of Virginia became the first settled colony on the continent.
Between 1625 and 1775, the colonial population grew dramatically, from just two thousand settlers to more than 2.4 million. Though under British rule, the colonies had self-governance and elections.
As English settlement expanded, the colonies were organized into regional groups based on geography.
New England Colonies
- Massachusetts (1691)
- New Hampshire (1629)
- Connecticut (1636)
- Rhode Island (1663)
Middle Colonies
- Delaware (1664)
- New York (1664)
- New Jersey (1664)
- Pennsylvania (1681)
Southern Colonies
- Virginia (1607)
- Maryland (1632)
- North Carolina (1729)
- South Carolina (1729)
- Georgia (1732)
After the French and Indian War, Britain was left with heavy debts and looked to the Thirteen Colonies to pay them. Beginning in 1764, Parliament imposed a series of taxes on the colonies.
Many colonists protested, arguing that since the colonies were not represented in Parliament, they had no right to tax them. Their rallying cry, “No taxation without representation,” led many to question whether Parliament held any authority over the colonies at all.
In defiance, colonists elected Provincial Congresses and organized boycotts of British goods. Tensions grew even further after Parliament imposed the Intolerable Acts in 1774, leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord the following year.
By August 1775, Britain had declared the colonies in open rebellion. The call for independence followed, strengthened by Thomas Paine’s influential pamphlet Common Sense, which argued for American self-government.
“Believe me, dear Sir: there is not in the British empire a man who more cordially loves a union with Great Britain than I do. But, by the God that made me, I will cease to exist before I yield to a connection on such terms as the British Parliament propose; and in this, I think I speak the sentiments of America.”
-Thomas Jefferson
The Second Continental Congress appointed five members to draft and present the Declaration.
The Committee of Five consisted of John Adams (Massachusetts), Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania), Thomas Jefferson (Virginia), Robert R. Livingston (New York) and Roger Sherman (Connecticut).
Franklin was selected to write the original draft, and completed it in seventeen days, between June 11 and June 28.
The committee presented the draft to Congress on June 28, and over the next two days, delegates revised and refined Jefferson’s text.
Known for his excellent penmanship, American politician, Timothy Matlack, was selected to inscribe the Declaration on vellum (animal skin).
On July 2, 1776, Congress approved the Lee Resolution, declaring that Britain no longer held authority over the Thirteen Colonies.
Two days later, it adopted the Declaration of Independence, listing 27 grievances against the king and affirming the colonies’ natural and legal rights.
Additionally, the Declaration identified colonists as “one people”, and referred to the colonies as “United States”.
The Declaration was ratified and signed on July 4, 1776 by John Hancock, President of the Congress. By signing the Declaration, the delegates knowingly committed treason against the Crown, an act punishable by torture and death.
The signatures of 56 delegates, grouped by state from North to South, are listed at the bottom of the Declaration. These delegates became known as the nation’s Founding Fathers.
As President of the Congress, Hancock’s signature is centered below the text. After signing the Declaration, Hancock reportedly stated, “There! I guess King George will be able to read that!”
A Date in Question
The date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence remains a topic of debate.
Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams wrote that the Declaration was signed by Congress on July 4, 1776 – the date it was approved.
Historians now believe the signing occurred on August 2, 1776.
Two years before the Declaration of Independence, the town of Huntington, New York adopted its own Declaration of Rights in defiance of British authority.
Passed on June 21, 1774, in response to Parliament’s Intolerable Acts, and months before the Battles of Lexington and Concord, it stands as an early step toward colonial self-governance.
The principles in the Huntington Declaration mirror those later found in the Declaration of Independence, including rejecting parliamentary taxation and calling for united colonial boycotts of British goods until the acts were repealed.
The Town of Huntington was formed through a series of land purchases from the Matinecock people.
The First Purchase: On April 2, 1653, three settlers from Oyster Bay; Richard Holbrook, Robert Williams, and Daniel Whitehead, acquired six square miles between Cold Spring Harbor and Northport Harbor. Payment for this land included six coats, six kettles, six hatchets, six shirts, ten knives, and thirty needles.
Second Purchase: In 1656, Huntington expanded east to the Nissequogue River. Later additions, including Lloyd Neck in the 1880s, further grew the town. In 1872, its southern portion separated to form the Town of Babylon.
Scan of the 1774 Huntington Declaration of Rights courtesy of New York Heritage Digital Collections.
1st That every freeman’s property is absolutely his own, and no man has a right to take it from him without his consent, expressed either by himself or his representatives.
2nd That therefore all taxes and duties imposed on His Majesties subjects in the American colonies by the authority of Parliament are wholly unconstitutional and a plain violation of the most essential rights of British subjects.
3rd That the act of Parliament lately passed for shutting up the port of Boston, or any other means or device under color of law, to compel them or any other of His Majesty’s American subjects to submit to Parliamentary taxation are subversive of their just and constitutional liberty.
4th That we are of opinion that our brethren of Boston are now suffering in the common cause of British America.
5th That therefore it is the indispensable duty of all colonies to unite in some effectual measures for the repeal of said act and every other act of Parliament whereby they are taxed for raising a revenue.
6th That it is the opinion of this meeting that the most effectual means for obtaining a speedy repeal of said acts will be to break off all commercial intercourse with Great Britain, Ireland and the English West India colonies.
7th And we hereby declare ourselves ready to enter into these or such other measures as shall be agreed upon by a general congress of all the colonies: and we recommend to the general congress to take such measures as shall be most effectatl (sic) to prevent such goods as are at present in America from being raised to an extravagant price.
And lastly we appoint Colonel Platt Conkling, John Sloss Hobart Esq. and Thomas Wickes a committee for this town, to act in conjunction with the committee of the other town in the county, as a general committee for the county, to correspond with the committee of New York.
Huntington residents had already modified their official British flag (The British Red Ensign), adding the word “LIBERTY” in white letters to the front and “George III” to the back.
After the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, formal public readings of the document took place across the colonies.
On July 22, 1776, townspeople gathered on the Village Green in Huntington to hear the Declaration of Independence, lowered their altered flag, tore off the Union Jack and the name “George III,” leaving a plain red flag bearing the word “LIBERTY.”
The removed pieces were stuffed into an effigy of King George III, which was hung from a gallows and set on fire.
The Liberty flag, as it became known, was carried by the Suffolk County Militia in the Battle of Long Island, on August 27, 1776. During the battle, the flag was captured by German auxiliary soliders.
Discover How Huntington Shaped America’s Story!
The exhibit continues March 2026
(Bookmark this page to see how the story unfolds)
With over 17 years of experience in graphic design, John’s is guided by the idea that design is a powerful tool that can challenge perceptions, and foster meaningful connections between people and ideas. Whether it’s designing a single marketing piece or curating an entire exhibit, he strives to create work that is visually engaging, informative, and inspiring.
John has created several notable exhibits in the past, including PRIDE! Our Story, which examines the history of the LGBTQ+ movement in America, and Shorelines & Speakeasies, an exploration of Prohibition-era history on Long Island.
In 2024, he co-founded History Repeatn’, an innovative experience company that produces pop-up events and exhibits, educational programs, and informative content with the goal of making learning about history fun and entertaining for all ages. The company launched History Straight Up in 2025, a podcast that explores the stories behind history’s most iconic drinks, and the people and moments that made them unforgettable. John serves as both a host and the producer of the weekly show.
Beyond design, John is a dedicated writer. His creative writing includes short stories and a novel, the first installment in a planned series centered on LGBTQ+ characters and themes. He also contributes articles as a freelance journalist for the North Shore News Group.
To learn more about John and his work, click here.
