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[Event listing courtesy of the Sudbury Historical Society]
Declaring Independence: Then and Now
Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 1:00-2:00pm
First Parish of Sudbury | 327 Concord Road
FREE ADMISSION (no registration required)
The Sudbury Historical Society (SHS)—in partnership with Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area—will present Declaring Independence: Then and Now: an award-winning performance that brings the words and ideas of 1776 to life through readings of the Declaration of Independence and first-person perspectives by reenactors.
Tailored to Sudbury and presented on the site where the Declaration of Independence was originally read to its inhabitants, this thought-provoking program depicts how communities in Massachusetts debated the idea of independence from Great Britain. We invite the audience to reflect on what independence meant then and means now.
The performance will take place on Sudbury 250 Day: a town-wide celebration in historic town center on May 16th from 10:00-3:00 pm. Enjoy militia reenactments, colonial music, a Town Crier, historic tours, food trucks, and the Knox Cannon firing, and much more.
For a full schedule of events and parking, visit: https://sudbury.ma.us/sudbury250/
Narrator
Andrea Roessler
Vice-President, Sudbury Historical Society
Performers
Reverend Jacob Bigelow: Benjamin Morse
Benjamin Morse of Natick will portray Reverend Jacob Bigelow, Pastor of the West Side Meetinghouse—today known as the First Parish of Sudbury—where he blessed the troops of Captain John Nixon as they were called to muster in 1775. There, Reverend Bigelow read the Declaration of Independence to the inhabitants of Sudbury for the first time on June 10, 1776.
Deacon Josiah Haynes: Hartley Johnson
Hartley Johnson of Sudbury is a direct descendant of Walter Haynes, one of the original settlers of Sudbury. Hartley will portray the eleven members of the Haynes Family, who marched to Concord and fought in the Revolutionary War.
Experience Wight Richardson: Jane Sciacca
Jane Sciacca of Wayland is an authority on Experience Wight Richardson, a Sudbury mother who feared for the well-being of her son, Josiah Richardson, Jr., as he went off to fight on that fateful day in April of 1775.
Ezekiel How: Tony Howes
Dr. Anthony Howes of Framingham is an authority on the famous How Family associated with the Wayside Inn. Dr. Howes will portray Ezekiel How, the Innkeeper and Lieutenant Colonel, who led his militia to battle in Concord on April 19, 1775.
Thankful Berry: Kathy Lague
Kathy Lague of Sudbury will portray Thankful Berry, wife of Captain John Nixon, who led his company from Nobscot to battle in Concord and, later, at Bunker Hill.