“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”
If you strolled through Mainstrasse Village in Covington on Wednesday evening, you probably saw a man in colonial garb, bellowing out the Declaration of Independence.
The actor was reenacting a town crier, similar to what would be seen in 1776. Before newspapers, broadcast news or radio, a town crier served as a primary source of information in a town. They would stand on an elevated platform and declare the news.
According to History.com, “in colonial America, town criers have existed since population centers began to grow, as British settlers brought the tradition over from England. Towns typically hired criers once they reached a size where they were incorporated. As was the case previously in Europe, the main function of the town crier was to make announcements—primarily because the average person couldn’t read.”
Grassroots political advocacy organization Americans for Prosperity put on the event.
Aside from celebrating America’s 250th birthday, Alyssa Baker of Americans for Prosperity Kentucky said they put it on public display because many people have never read or heard the Declaration of Independence.
“We’re kind of meeting people where they’re at, they’re going to dinner, they’re grabbing ice cream in the community and he’s just proclaiming,” she said.
Volunteers were at the event passing out American flags and Declaration of Independence booklets.
The actor does historically accurate performances and had to audition with the organization for the part. Americans for Prosperity is currently staging reenactments across the country.
“There’s no real convincing behind it [the reenactment], because it’s the founding principles that the United States of America was founded on, and just remembering those principles, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, and how we can continue to utilize those principles as we go forward 250 years,” Baker said. “Just remembering and reminding people why our nation is so great.”
Though Americans for Prosperity is generally considered a conservative organization, Baker said Wednesday’s event wasn’t about red or blue.
“At the end of the day, what we’re doing here today isn’t about red versus blue versus fill in the blank; it’s about red, white, and blue, and about being so proud to be an American,” Baker said. “Remembering and thanking those who came before us, who gave the ultimate sacrifice, or who had the grit and endurance to go through the challenges over the past 250 years, and got us to where we are today, and I’m excited to see the next 250 years.”
