Historical Reenactment Reading of Malden Town Instructions 2023

In celebration of the July 4 holiday, all are invited to the Malden Public Library (36 Salem St.) on Friday, June 30, at 5 p.m. to reexperience the events in Malden that led up to the drafting of the “Instructions of the Inhabitants of Malden, Massachusetts to their Representatives in Congress” – Malden’s declaration of support for American Independence. Local Historian and period actor Tom Coots will perform the 7th Annual Reading of the town “Instructions” on the lawn of the Malden Public Library.

The May 27, 1776, document titled “Instructions of the Inhabitants of Malden, Massachusetts to their Representatives in Congress” was unanimously voted on by the townspeople of Malden to be delivered to the Second Continental Congress via their representative Ezra Sargeant. In this communication, the voting citizens of Malden renounce the Colony’s ties to the Kingdom of Great Britain and set forth their wish to become an independent “American” republic. The document is credited as a precursor to the Declaration of Independence – written in July 1776 –when the Continental Congress formally declared their independence from England. The original historical document is on display in the Library for viewing.