NPR broadcasts and tweets out Declaration of Independence for the Fourth of July. “Some thought NPR tweeted “propaganda.” It was the Declaration of Independence.”

For about 20 minutes Tuesday, NPR traveled back to 1776.

To echo its 29-year on-air tradition,the public radio network’s main Twitter account tweeted out the Declaration of Independence, line by line.

There - in 113 consecutive posts, in 140-character increments - was the text of the treasured founding document of the United States, from its soaring opening to its searing indictments of King George III’s “absolute tyranny” to its very last signature.

Who could have taken issue with such a patriotic exercise, done in honor of the nation’s birthday?

Quite a few people, it turned out.