A Public Record of First-Hand Engagement
with the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written for a specific historical moment, but its arguments have been read, debated, defended, criticized, and discussed around the world for nearly 250 years.
The Declaration Roll is open to anyone who has taken the time to encounter the document firsthand.
The original Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 individuals who publicly declared their support for a new nation.
The Declaration Roll serves a different purpose.
It is not a political statement.
It is not a pledge of agreement.
It is not a declaration that you support every word written in 1776.
It is a public record of individuals who have taken the time to encounter the Declaration of Independence firsthand.
Some people arrive here after reading the Declaration for the first time.
Others have spent years studying, teaching, discussing, or returning to the document.
The invitation is the same:
Start with the source.
The original signers attached their names to a declaration.
Today, you have an opportunity to add your name to a different kind of roll: a growing record of people committed to first-hand engagement with important ideas.
Not because we all agree.
Not because we share the same politics.
Not because we see history the same way.
But because we are willing to engage important ideas directly.
Declaration Roll
Beginning with One
1 Name on the Roll
Add Your Name to the Declaration Roll
Before adding your name to the Declaration Roll, take a moment to be honest with yourself.
The Roll is not a petition.
Its purpose is simple: to recognize those who have encountered the Declaration firsthand.
No one is checking.
No one is grading.
The value of the Roll depends entirely on the integrity of the people who sign it.
If you have encountered the Declaration firsthand, we’d be honored to add your name.
