ROCKINGHAM, Vt. – The Rockingham Meeting House Association invites the public to join in a special annual pilgrimage at the historic Rockingham Meeting House as the community continues to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on Sunday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
This year’s pilgrimage is especially meaningful because it takes place the very day, 250 years ago, when members of the Continental Congress began signing the parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence. While July 4 marks the adoption of the declaration’s text, it was Aug. 2, 1776, when most delegates gathered to place their signatures on the document. By signing, they publicly pledged “their Lives, their Fortunes and their sacred Honor” in support of American independence.
The Rockingham Meeting House Pilgrimage will commemorate this historic milestone through a program of remembrance, music, storytelling, and community fellowship set against the backdrop of one of Vermont’s most important Revolutionary-era landmarks.
The program begins with a fife-and-drum corps mustering visitors to gather at the Meeting House cemetery. There, the community will honor Rockingham’s Revolutionary War veterans, including local men who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, paying tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who helped secure the nation’s independence.
Mustered into the Meeting House, Revolutionary-era music will set the tone for a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, allowing visitors to hear the words that inspired a revolution on the very anniversary of the document’s signing.
The program will also feature “A New American – The Tale of Deborah Sampson,” a dramatic presentation celebrating the extraordinary life of the only woman to receive a military pension for 18 months of service in the Continental Army. Born into poverty and determined to make her own way in the world, Sampson became a teacher, a skilled weaver, and ultimately a soldier who disguised herself as a man to enlist in the Continental Army. After the war, she became one of America’s earliest female public lecturers, sharing her remarkable story at a time when women’s voices were rarely heard from the public stage.
The pilgrimage concludes with a community singalong of familiar patriotic songs celebrating freedom, unity, and the enduring ideals of the American Revolution.
The annual pilgrimage has long been a cherished Rockingham tradition, bringing together residents and visitors to reflect on the nation’s founding while celebrating the Meeting House’s place in Vermont and American history. This year’s observance, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, offers a rare opportunity to commemorate a milestone that is often overshadowed by Independence Day itself.
The event is free and open to everyone. Whether you are a lifelong resident, a student of history, or visiting the Rockingham Meeting House for the first time, all are warmly invited to participate in this memorable community celebration of the people, principles, and sacrifices that gave birth to the United States.