On 4 July 1776, the American Congress accepted the Declaration of Independence, with The Gazette being the first European newspaper to announce American independence.
To mark 250 years of the US Declaration of Independence, we look at the origins and consequences of the Thirteen Colonies formally ending their links to Britain.
US Independence in The Gazette
On August 6 1776, The Gazette was the first European newspaper to announce American independence when a letter from General William Howe to the Secretary of State for America Lord George Germain was published: ‘I am informed that the Continental Congress have declared the United Colonies free and independent States’.
Despite the Declaration, fighting ensued for seven more years and it was not until 1783, when the Treaty of Paris was signed, that Britain finally gave up its claims to the thirteen states. The signing of the treaty was announced in The Gazette on 4 October 1783.
Resources
American Declaration of Independence and The Gazette
Why did the Thirteen Colonies declare independence? We look at the Olive Branch Petition, the Declaration of Independence itself, and the Treaty of Paris.
News of the world: the US Declaration of Independence in Britain
When did the first copy of the Declaration of Independence arrive in Britain? Graham Moore, a Records Specialist for Early Modern Parliament at The National Archives, looks at the ‘Dunlap broadsides’ and how news of US Independence spread across the Atlantic.
The National Archives’ exhibition Revolution 250
To mark 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, The National Archives will be hosting an exhibition that charts the emergence of the United States of America. Find out more.
American citizens with honorary British knighthoods and damehoods
As the official newspaper of the Crown, The Gazette has been announcing honours for centuries. We look at some of the notable American citizens who have received honorary British knighthoods and damehoods.