The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell was first ordered in 1751 for the Pennsylvania State House, which is now known as Independence Hall. It is made of mostly copper and tin and weighs roughly about 2,000 pounds. The reason this bell is referred to as the "Liberty Bell" is because of the Bible verse that is carved into it..

"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land and unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Levitivus 25:10)

You can also see written on the bell the saying, "By Order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philada" spelling Pennsylvania wrong because at the time the states name had not been universally adopted yet. You can still see this misspelling on the Constitution.

The Liberty Bell was bought for 100 pounds and when the bell was first tested in 1752, it sustained its first crack. Another bell was ordered and hung in Independece Hall in 1753. It was cast by John Pass and John Stow, whose names are also carved into the bell along with the bible verse.

Before it was given the name we see today, it was called the State House Bell. The term "Liberty Bell" was first used by Abolitionists in the 1830's. But even before it was formally named the Liberty Bell, it was a sybmol of freedom. The new colonists in Philadelphia were very happy about not being under British rule, and the Bell represented their newly found freedom. It was something that Philadelphians treasured then and still do today.




The bell was used for many reasons in the mid to late 18th century and was rung to assemble people together for special announcements and events. Some examples are when Benjamin Franklin left for England to address colonial grievances, the Sugar act in 1764 and the Stamp act in 1765. A common story that today is said to be a myth, is that the bell was rung to summon people for the reading of the Decleration of Independce. Although this was later found to be untrue, the story still shows the symbolisum of freedom.

During the year 1777 the British occupied Philadelphia and out of fear that the bell would be melted and used for cannons, the bell was removed from the city and hidden under a church located in Allentown, PA.

As for the cracks in the new bell, according to National Park Service, "By 1846 a thin crack began to affect the sound of the bell. The bell was repaired and rang for George Washingtons birthday celebration, but the bell cracked again and has not been rung since. No one knows why the bell cracked either times." Today, the cracks remain a mystery and the Bell is located at 501 Market St. for the public to view.


APA Cited:

United States Government, National Park Service (2010). Liberty Bell Center, Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/inde/liberty-bell-center.htm

Independence Hall Association (1998-2010). The Liberty Bell, Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell

Blog created by Kelsey Butler and Kathleen Maurone and Group 1 Historical Philadelphia

Photos by Kelsey and Kathleen