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1776 at Harvard

In Focus

1776 at Harvard

From training the leaders of the burgeoning nation to housing soldiers during the American Revolution, Harvard played an important role in early America.

“A Prospect of the Colledges in Cambridge
in New England,” William Burgis, 1726.


Founding Fathers from Harvard

Harvard alumni and key figures of the American Revolution, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, all signed the Declaration of Independence.

Learn about their journey to signing the document

John Hancock

John Hancock received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1754. He served as president of the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence with his famously large signature.

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1740, and a master’s in 1743. At the Continental Congress he emerged as an outspoken advocate for establishing independence.

John Adams

John Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755. He attended the First Continental Congress as a delegate from Massachusetts and soon emerged as the leader of the pro-independence faction in Congress.

Revolutionary reorganization

Cambridge and Boston were key sites during the revolutionary period. A special self-guided, mobile tour from Harvard offers unique insights about notable places on and around campus and reveals the historical context behind them.

Take the tour

On May 1, 1775, Harvard undergraduates were dismissed early for the year. Two months later, General George Washington set up his first Massachusetts headquarters in Harvard’s Wadsworth House. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 soldiers moved into five other Harvard buildings nearby.

Classes resumed for Harvard students on October 5, but students reported to class 20 miles away in Concord, Massachusetts.

Learn more about the move

The Declaration of Independence

Harvard holds one of the few surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence. Students in David Armitage’s “Declarations of Independence” seminar view Harvard’s copy and discuss how the document revolutionized global politics.

Learn more about the class

A New Nation: The Declaration of Independence
Click to Play Video

Harvard’s original copy

Harvard’s Dunlap broadside copy of the original Declaration of Independence is held at Houghton Library. John Hancock sent this copy on July 6, 1776 to General Artemas Ward, commander of the Continental Army in Boston.

Alumni signers

Alongside John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, five other Harvard alumni were among the 56 delegates at the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence.

Learn more about the signers at the Declaration Resources Project

William Ellery

A black and white portrait of William Ellery
William Ellery graduated from Harvard College in 1747. Practicing as a lawyer at the time of the Continental Congress, he was described as “somewhat cynical in his temper, but a faithful friend to the liberties of his country.”

Robert Treat Paine

A historic portrait of Robert Treat Paine
Robert Treat Paine graduated from Harvard College in 1749 and began practicing law in 1755. Paine’s involvement in provincial politics began in 1770 when the town of Boston asked him to assist in the prosecution of the Boston Massacre trials.

 

William Hooper

A historic painting of William Hooper
William Hooper graduated from Harvard College in 1760. His father hoped he would pursue a career in the clergy, but Hooper decided to go into law instead. At the Continental Congress Hooper was described as “a sensible sprightly young lawyer and a rapid but correct speaker.”

Elbridge Gerry

an historic portrait of Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry graduated from Harvard College in 1762, and received a master’s degree in 1765. His dissertation argued that the colonies should resist the recently passed Stamp Act.

William Williams

A historic portrait of William Williams
William Williams graduated from Harvard College in 1751. He served on the Connecticut House of Representatives and was active in the protests that preceded the American Revolution.

Celebrating 250

Throughout the year, events, exhibits, and collaborations at Harvard are exploring and commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

March 24, 2026

The American Experiment at 250

March 24, 2026

In the first in a series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, scholars from Harvard Law School examined the challenges facing law and governance in the United States today.

The American Experiment at 250
March 25, 2026

The American Revolution: Lessons for the 250th

March 25, 2026

At a Harvard event, filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein discussed their PBS documentary “The American Revolution” with Harvard faculty members Annette Gordon-Reed, Philip Deloria, and Vincent Brown who appear in the film.

The American Revolution: Lessons for the 250th
Open through December

Harvard and the American Revolution

Open through December

Through curated objects, documents, and narratives from the collections of the Harvard University Archives, this exhibit explores how the Harvard community helped shape—and was shaped by—the birth of the American republic.

Harvard and the American Revolution
Various dates through July

Gallery Talk: American Works of Art at the 250th

Various dates through July

Curator Horace Ballard leads a series of gallery talks exploring works that reflect the historical, social, and political forces that shaped the U.S.

Gallery Talk: American Works of Art at the 250th
Various dates through July

Lecture Series: Harvard in 1776

Various dates through July

Through the Department of History's “Harvard in 1776” series, experts revisit the years and months immediately preceding the British exodus.

Lecture Series: Harvard in 1776
Various dates through December

The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond

Various dates through December

Harvard Kennedy School brings together leaders in politics, culture, academia, technology, and journalism to discuss the questions and challenges facing America as it celebrates its 250th anniversary.

The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond
Opens May 18, 2026

War of Words: A Citizen’s Eye View of the Revolution

Opens May 18, 2026

A Harvard Library exhibit showcases the posters, pamphlets, newspapers, and images that brought news of the American Revolution to those who lived through it.

War of Words: A Citizen’s Eye View of the Revolution
May 25–October 18, 2026

Special Exhibit: Washington's Sash

May 25–October 18, 2026

George Washington created a system of colored sashes to denote rank, assigning “a light blue Ribband" to the commander-in-chief. A blue taffeta sash once belonging to Washington is on display at the Harvard Peabody Museum.

Special Exhibit: Washington’s Sash
Opens June 27, 2026

Collecting Wonders–Tomorrow’s Discoveries

Opens June 27, 2026

Among the millions of specimens in the collections at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are George Washington’s pheasants and a woodpecker from the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Collecting Wonders–Tomorrow’s Discoveries

Life in 1776

Founded in 1636, Harvard was more than 100 years old at the time of the American Revolution. Harvard libraries, museums, and collections have a wide range of documents, items, and records from this time period.