Declaring Independence: The Declaration Of Independence's 250th with Emily Sneff, Ph.D.

An acclaimed historian of early American history and the Declaration Of Independence, Emily Sneff joins us to discuss her new book: When the Declaration of Independence Was News (Oxford University Press, 2026). Publishing for the 250th anniversary of the United States, the book focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.

Emily Sneff received her Ph.D. and M.A. in History from William & Mary. She is a consulting curator for exhibitions planned for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration in 2026. She is the curator of digital content for Declaration Stories and has served as a consultant for Historic Trappe, the Museum of the American Revolution and Harvard University.

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