Harvard University
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.
in New England,” William Burgis, 1726.
The Declaration of Independence
Harvard holds a Dunlap broadside copy of the original Declaration of Independence at Houghton Library. Students in David Armitage’s “Declarations of Independence” seminar view this copy and discuss how the document revolutionized global politics.
George Washington’s honorary degree
On April 3, 1776 Harvard President Samuel Langdon and the fellows of the College voted to award General George Washington an honorary doctoral degree. Washington’s diploma is currently in the Library of Congress, but a reproduction is part of the Harvard University Archives’ collections.
Listen to Harvard President Alan Garber read the honorary degree.
Revolutionary maps
Part of the collection at Harvard’s Houghton Library is a Revolutionary-era map drawn in October 1775 by British Lieutenant Richard Williams while he was stationed in Boston. The map captures a pivotal moment in the early American Revolution, showing a city almost completely surrounded by water, connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land, and transformed by military occupation.
Revolutionary writing
Founding Father John Adams and his wife Abigail lived apart for much of their married life, and often corresponded via letters. Recently on campus, Harvard alumni Amy Brenneman and Courtney B. Vance read letters written between the historic pair.