Sienna Rhodes
The Liberty Bell, originally known as the State House Bell, has been a symbol of American independence, freedom, and justice. The bell was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania's original Constitution. The bell was cast with the inscription, Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof, from Leviticus. The sound of the bell is a topic of debate, with some sources claiming that it cracked upon its first strike, while others suggest that it rang frequently to mark important events, such as the public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The bell's custodians believed that its metal composition would result in an unpleasant sound, and its crack became a part of its character. Today, the Liberty Bell remains a powerful symbol, even though it no longer rings, and is on permanent display in a visitor center next to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sound | Deemed satisfactory after recasting in June 1753 |
| Not rung at the Centennial Exposition in 1876 | |
| Tapped gently with wooden mallets to inaugurate transcontinental telephone service in February 1915 | |
| Rang to call the Assembly together and to summon people together for special announcements and events | |
| Tolled when Benjamin Franklin was sent to England to address Colonial grievances | |
| Tolled when King George III ascended to the throne in 1761 | |
| Tolled to call together the people of Philadelphia to discuss the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765 | |
| Popular legend says it rang to symbolize America's independence from Great Britain on July 8, 1776 | |
| It probably didn't ring on July 4, 1776 | |
| It may not have rung on July 8, 1776 either, as the statehouse steeple was under repair | |
| It rang for George Washington's birthday on February 23, 1846 | |
| Tapped to welcome the New Year in 1924, 1925, and 1926 |
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What You'll Learn
The Liberty Bell's crack
The Liberty Bell, originally known as the State House Bell, has had a long and tumultuous history. The bell was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania's original Constitution. The bell was cast with the inscription of a Bible verse from Leviticus: "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof".
The bell arrived in Philadelphia from England in 1752 and was hung in the steeple of the State House in March 1753. However, upon its first ringing, the bell cracked. Isaac Norris, who had overseen the commission of the bell, wrote:
> "I had the mortification to hear that it was cracked by a stroke of the clapper without any other violence as it was hung up to try the sound."
The cause of the crack has been attributed to various factors, including flaws in its casting, the metal being too brittle, damage during transit, or even the inexperienced ringing of an overzealous bell ringer. The bell was recast, and while the sound was deemed satisfactory, Norris himself indicated that he did not particularly like it.
Despite the crack, the Liberty Bell continued to ring on many historically significant occasions. It tolled when Benjamin Franklin was sent to England to address colonial grievances, when King George III ascended the throne in 1761, and when the people of Philadelphia gathered to discuss the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765. The bell became a symbol of liberty and freedom, especially during the abolitionist movement in the early 1800s, as people who wanted to outlaw slavery adopted it as a symbol for their campaign.
In 1843, the Liberty Bell cracked again, this time during a tolling on Washington's birthday. The bell was repaired, and a slot was carved along the length of the crack to prevent the two sides from vibrating against each other. Rivets were inserted to control the vibration and restore the bell's tonal quality.
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The sound of the bell
The sound of the Liberty Bell has been described as "satisfactory" and "no better than the Pass and Stow bell". The bell was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania's original Constitution. It was cast with the inscription, "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof", a verse from Leviticus.
The bell was cast with a considerably higher level of tin than other Whitechapel bells of the era, resulting in a brittle structure. The bell cracked in 1753, shortly after it was first hung, and was deemed unfit to be rung. It was then recast, and the new bell was rung frequently to mark important occasions. It tolled when Benjamin Franklin was sent to England to address colonial grievances, when King George III ascended the throne in 1761, and to call the people of Philadelphia together to discuss the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765.
The Liberty Bell became a symbol of the anti-slavery movement in the late 1830s and was adopted by abolitionists. It is said to have rung on July 8, 1776, to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. However, there are no contemporary accounts of this, and it is unlikely that the bell was in use at the time as the statehouse steeple was under repair.
The bell cracked again in 1843, and it is believed that this occurred when it rang in remembrance of Washington's birthday. The bell was repaired, and a slot was carved along the crack to prevent the two sides from vibrating against each other. The Liberty Bell was rung gently with wooden mallets in 1915 to inaugurate the transcontinental telephone service, and it was tapped and broadcast by radio across the nation to welcome the New Year in 1924, 1925, and 1926.
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The bell's history
The Liberty Bell started out as a two-thousand-pound mass of unstable metal commissioned by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania's original Constitution. The bell was ordered from the Whitechapel Foundry in London, with instructions to inscribe a passage from Leviticus: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof".
The bell arrived in Philadelphia in August or September 1752 and was hung in the steeple of the State House in March 1753. However, the bell cracked during its first strike. The cause of the break is attributed to flaws in its casting, with the metal being too brittle. The Whitechapel Foundry, however, blamed the damage on transit or an inexperienced bell ringer.
The bell was recast and the new sound was deemed satisfactory, although the Whitechapel Foundry's representative, Norris, indicated that he did not personally like it. The bell was frequently tolled to mark important occasions, such as the appointment of Benjamin Franklin to address Colonial grievances, the ascension of King George III in 1761, and the discussions around the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765.
The bell gained iconic importance when it became a symbol of the anti-slavery movement in the early 1800s. It was also rung on July 8, 1776, to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The Liberty Bell cracked again in 1843, and despite attempts to repair it, it lost its voice and was eventually retired.
Today, the Liberty Bell is on permanent display in a visitor centre next to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Its image continues to be a powerful symbol of American independence, freedom, and equality.
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The bell's repairs
The Liberty Bell, originally known as the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, has endured as a symbol of freedom and American independence. The bell was commissioned in 1751 or 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London-based firm Lester and Pack, later known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. It was cast with the lettering, "Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof", a verse from Leviticus.
The bell first cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia in 1752. It was then recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose names appear on the bell. However, the repair was not successful, and the bell cracked again. The cause of the break is attributed to flaws in its casting, as the metal was deemed too brittle.
In the 1830s, the bell was adopted as a symbol by abolitionist societies, who dubbed it the "Liberty Bell". It acquired its distinctive large crack sometime in the first half of the 19th century, possibly in 1835 when it was rung to mark the death of Chief Justice John Marshall. The crack might also have been caused by 90 years of hard use or the metallic composition of the bell.
Over the years, there have been several attempts and proposals to repair the bell. In 1846, locals attempted to make repairs so that the bell could be rung for Washington's Birthday. They used a method called stop drilling, which involved widening the crack so that the sides would not touch and create a buzzing sound when rung. However, this repair was also unsuccessful, and the bell fell silent.
In 1876, Philadelphia city officials discussed repairing the bell so that it could sound at the Centennial Exposition. However, this idea was not adopted. Instead, a replica, known as the Centennial Bell, was cast and rung at the exposition.
In 1915, politicians held a ceremonial ringing of the broken bell, tapping it gently with wooden mallets, to drum up support for World War I. This led to the bell becoming a symbol of the fundraising effort for the war through the sale of Liberty Bonds.
More recently, in 2019, a scientist at steel giant ArcelorMittal claimed that it would be simple to melt the bell, balance the metals, and recast it. However, a representative for the National Park Service, which runs the Liberty Bell Center, stated that repairing the bell might be illegal and would serve no purpose.
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The bell's use in modern times
The Liberty Bell has been used in modern times as a symbol of freedom and as a rallying point for oppressed groups to proclaim their call for liberty. It was originally known as the State House Bell but acquired the name "
The Liberty Bell has been featured in various publications and media, contributing to its modern image as a relic of American independence. For example, in 1847, writer George Lippard published an article titled "Fourth of July, 1776" in the Saturday Courier, which further entrenched the story of the bell ringing on Independence Day. Additionally, abolitionist groups in the mid-19th century, such as Boston's Friends of Liberty, used the bell's image and name in their journals and poems to reinforce their message of freedom.
The bell has been physically moved and displayed in various locations to commemorate significant events. In February 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln delivered an address in the Assembly Room where the bell was housed, en route to his inauguration. After Lincoln's assassination in 1865, his body was returned to the Assembly Room for a public viewing, with the bell carefully placed at his head so mourners could read its inscription.
The Liberty Bell has also been taken on journeys to large expositions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, drawing millions of viewers. It was used to inaugurate the transcontinental telephone service in 1915 and played a role in World War II, symbolically selling war bonds. In 1940, the first Philadelphians required to serve in the nation's first peacetime draft took their oaths of enlistment before the Liberty Bell.
Today, the Liberty Bell is housed in the Liberty Bell Center, which opened in 2003, and it remains a popular attraction. On every Fourth of July, children who are descendants of Declaration signers symbolically tap the bell 13 times, honouring the original 13 states. The bell is also gently tapped each year on Martin Luther King Day.
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Frequently asked questions
It probably didn't ring on July 4, 1776. A magazine writer in 1847 made up the story of the bell ringing on the first Independence Day.
It may not have rung on July 8, 1776, either. While bells in Philadelphia were ringing to celebrate the public announcement of the Declaration of Independence, the Statehouse steeple was under repair, making it unlikely for the Liberty Bell to be in use.
On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell is said to have rung from the tower of Independence Hall, summoning the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The crack has been attributed to flaws in its casting, or the metal being too brittle.
The inscription on the bell reads, "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."
