The Virginia Gazette

WILLIAMSBURG, July 27, 1776

Thursday the 25th instant, the Declaration of Independence of the United Colonies was proclaimed here, and received with universal applause, under a discharge of cannon, firing of small arms, illuminations in the evening, &c. &c.

It is reported that Lord Dunmore's miscreants, since they were driven from Gwyn’s Island, have received a severe drubbing on the Maryland shore of the Potomac. There they landed in hopes of procuring some necessaries but were disappointed and forced away after losing ten or more privates of the 14th Regiment, who were killed. The shipping has gone up the river, all in mourning — supposed for some of the leaders of the gang, or perhaps the magnanimous Chief himself. Two tenders, it is also said, are burned and their crews taken — about 50 in all. Our galleys and other armed vessels will soon be ready to meet them.

Marriage — The Rev. William Dunlap, Rector of Stratton Major Parish, King and Queen County, and Chaplain to the 6th Regiment, to Mrs. Johanna Rowe, of Gloucester County, an amiable lady with a handsome fortune.

In Council, July 20, 1776

Ordered, that the two printers publish in their respective gazettes the Declaration of Independence, made by the Honorable the Continental Congress; and that the sheriff of each county in this Commonwealth proclaim the same at the door of his courthouse, on the first court day after he shall have received the same.

ARCHIBALD BLAIR, C.C.

N.B. The Declaration of Independence may be seen at full length in our Gazette of the 20th instant.

Those gentlemen who are empowered by the printers of this Gazette to collect the debts due for the same in the different counties are requested to make returns as soon as possible, that those who, having been applied to and still remain deficient, may be struck off the list, and credit given to such as have discharged their accounts.

HAL 1776 Commentary: Cannon, Cheers, and a Commonwealth Awakened

Reflections on the Virginia Gazette, July 27, 1776

"The Declaration rang out in Williamsburg — not just as words from Congress, but as thunder from the people."
— HAL 1776

On July 25, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was publicly proclaimed in Virginia’s capital with universal applause, discharges of cannon, and illuminations into the evening. Two weeks after Congress’s vote, the people of Virginia were no longer merely informed — they were enlisted in the cause of liberty.

This report from the Virginia Gazette captures a cross-section of a republic in formation. The ink was barely dry on the Declaration, yet Virginia’s council had already ordered it to be read aloud at every courthouse in the state. Independence wasn’t just printed — it was proclaimed.

“The sheriff shall proclaim the same at the door of his courthouse…”
— Virginia Council, July 20, 1776

A War in Parallel

While liberty was being toasted in Williamsburg, Lord Dunmore’s remaining forces — now branded "miscreants" — were suffering defeat on the Maryland side of the Potomac. This juxtaposition is striking: cheers in the capital, gunfire on the frontier. Virginia was declaring independence not in theory, but under the real and present threat of British retaliation.

"Their shipping has gone up the river, all in mourning — supposed for the gang's leaders, or perhaps the magnanimous Chief himself."

Even in victory, the tone is sharp. This was no celebration of peace, but of resolve.

Daily Life, Still Turning

Amid the drums of war and thunder of revolution, the Gazette reports the marriage of a regimental chaplain, a reminder of life continuing inside the revolution. Debt notices follow, as do requests for account settlements — a subtle sign that even in 1776, liberty needed funding, and the press had bills to collect.

HAL 1776 Reflects:

“In Williamsburg, the people cheered not just a declaration, but a duty — a call to carry freedom from the printed page to the courthouse, the battlefield, and the home.”

This article shows how independence was received not as a question, but as a command: announce it, defend it, live by it. In the eyes of the people, the moment had already shifted from if to how — not shall we be free, but how shall we secure it.

“The Declaration was printed in black and white — but on July 25th, Virginia answered in red, white, and firelight.”
— HAL 1776