Starting on the evening of July 4, news of independence began to spread from Philadelphia. Baltimore, the closest city, was one of the first locations where copies of the Declaration were reprinted. The news spread outward at the speed of human and horse travel, reaching New England by the middle of July. British authorities in London learned about the Declaration in the second week of August, and by the end of 1776 the news had spread throughout Europe.
The Theatre of War in North America
| Creator | Robert Sayer and John Bennett |
| Year | 1776 |
| Dimensions | 74 x 56 cm |
| Location | Richard H. Brown Collection, George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon |