EXTRA! EXTRA! The Second Continental Congress declared independence, but then had no plan to spread its Declaration.
@emilysneff.bsky.social traces how the Declaration of Independence spread through printers, pulpits, and treaty councils in 1776.
#America250 #Revolution250
I am back from my unplanned Bluesky break to say that I am SO PROUD of @emilysneff.bsky.social. A fellow grad school cohort-member articulated it beautifully: it is tremendous to see the incredible journey of Emily's rich research from talking about in class to it being published. Go go go!!! 🎉
Available Now Sneff When the Declaration of Independence Was News Oxford
It's publication day! Thank you to everyone who made this book possible.
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Smithsonian magazine In 1776, the Declaration of Independence Was Breaking News. Here's How the Founding Document Reached the American Public Emily Sneff When the Declaration of Independence Was News
Thanks to @theotherrbg.bsky.social for interviewing me and highlighting When the Declaration of Independence Was News for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social!
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-1...
Fun to talk about the Declaration with the Constitution folk!
When the Declaration of Independence Was News drops on Wednesday
The WSJ book review for When the Declaration of Independence Was News called me "a careful academic who prefers sober analysis to intriguing speculation" and you know what, yeah. That's me.
"As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, When the Declaration of Independence Was News offers the perfect opportunity to reconsider our origins. Emily Sneff reminds us that the nation's beginning was contested, debated, and squabbled over from the start. Thoughtfully written, full of colorful personalities, and teeming with groundbreaking scholarly research, Sneff achieves something rare--she brings new life to an old story. A must-read for anyone interested in the Founding Era." Lindsay Chervinsky The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon and author of Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic
"How did it feel to experience the Declaration's epic rollout in real time? Moving through diverse audiences and navigating dense archives, Emily Sneff reimagines the pivotal moment in a clear and compelling narrative. She shows how early Americans encountered and interacted with new ideas of liberty, identity, and rights. Declaring independence, as Sneff illustrates, was a complex cultural process that defined the emerging nation's realm of political participation." Sara Georgini Author of Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family
"In Emily Sneff's fascinating history, readers will find themselves transported back in time to 1776, when Congress voting on the Declaration of Independence was a current event and the future of the new United States of America was both unknown and unsure. Sneff's timely, lively book will change the way you think about the history of the American Revolution and its most famous founding document." Zara Anishanslin University of Delaware
In the long historiography of the Declaration of Independence, When the Declaration of Independence Was News is the 3rd book by a woman & the 1st to be blurbed by all women--three incredible scholars whose work I deeply admire!
@lmchervinsky.bsky.social
@sarageorgini.bsky.social
@drzara.bsky.social
Giveaway Alert!
Goodreads is giving away 12 copies of When the Declaration of Independence Was News! There are already more than 1,000 people in the mix.
www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Book cover for Rachel A. Shelden, The Political Supreme Court: A Forgotten History
Not sure whether this is apt or terrible timing but here’s the official cover of my book due out with @uncpress.bsky.social W. Hodding Carter III imprint this fall. 🎉
How many days until July 4th?
As a historian of the Declaration of Independence, I'm feeling equal parts 🙂 🤯 😬 😰 🙃
Cardboard box open to reveal layered copies of book When the Declaration of Independence Was News
It’s real! When the Declaration of Independence Was News, coming soon to a bookstore or mailbox near you.
Today I discovered a new benefit of working as a public historian: sometimes, the copies for the museum gift shop arrive before your author copies!
When the Declaration of Independence Was News begins with a woman. You probably don't know her name, but you should know her story.
For Women's History Month, here is a preview of the opening paragraph of the book, coming April 15 from @oxunipress.bsky.social! global.oup.com/academic/pro...
I've been looking for an opportunity to discuss the paranormal conversation between the ghost of General Montgomery and a delegate in the wood near Philadelphia for a while, and I got the opportunity in today's News from 1776! 👻
declarationstories.org/news/feb-19 @declarationstories.bsky.social
I am. It’s at one of the museums where I consult, so I get a local and historic venue and they get the book sale profits.
There was a British Peter Parker at the same time too!
In the background, light red and blue flowing colors. In the foreground, a mockup of the book, When the Declaration of Independence Was News, with date April 2026.
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
A woman in glasses wearing a maroon blazer and shirt in the foreground, pointing up to a blue historical marker with yellow text describing the publication of Common Sense. Brick and stone buildings in the background.
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
Hooray!!!
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!
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Screenshot of a website with Simon & Schuster logo at the top. To the left, cover image of a book with a quill, reading The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, Walter Isaacson. To the right, further details including List Price $20.00.
Screenshot of a website. To the left, a peach and blue toned cover image of book reading Emily Sneff, When the Declaration of Independence Was News. At the middle and right, further details including list price $29.99.
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? 🤔
Proof page with black text on a white background reading: OUP UNCORRECTED PROOF WHEN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS NEWS EMILY SNEFF OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
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!
