Top 10 Facts about the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

By William Zhang – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

The Liberty Bell has previously been called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell. This bell is an iconic symbol of American independence and is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was commissioned from London in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.

Lester and Pack was the firm that cast the bell and in print the words “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof”.

The crack on the bell is believed to have appeared when it was rung for the first time, however, no one can confirm this.

Two other local men recast it, and their names appear on the bell, John Pass and John Stow.

For years the bell has been a symbol of hope through the country’s darkest times. There is a lot more that would interest you about the Liberty Bell, here are the top 10 facts.

1. The crack on the bell has been there since its first ring

By William Zhang – Wikimedia

How and when the crack on the bell appeared, no one knows till today. The crack has remained a big subject of debate among historians.

Some historians believe that the Bell got its first crack in 1752 when it was tested upon its arrival in Philadelphia from London.

A bell tower was commissioned a year before by Isaac Norris, the speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly.

After its first ring, the time the crack is believed to have appeared, it was melted down and recast.

The last time the bell rang was to celebrate the birthday of the first president, George Washington in 1846.

2. The original bell was cast in England

By Jean Leon Gerome Ferris – Wikimedia

The original cast was made in London, England, in 1752, by the company Lester and pack.

In 1751, Robert Charles received a letter while in London. Three Americans, Isaac Norris, Thomas Leech, and Edward Warner who signed the letter indicated the desire of the Assembly of the province of Pennsylvania to purchase a bell for the Independence Hall.

They also had instructions on the words that would be inscribed on the bell, from the book of Leviticus.

After it was shipped to America, it got the massive crack after its first ring. This led to its recasting by two Americans, John Pass and John Stow.

The fact remains that it was made in England, then recast in the US after the crack.

3. It got its name from the Abolitionist society

The bell was forgotten for a while after America gained its independence.

Later in the 1830s, the abolitionist societies adopted the bell as a symbol and called it the Liberty Bell.

Nonetheless, this was not its first name. It was previously known as the State House Bell.     

As the anti-slavery movement gained momentum in the 19th century, the name and the words inscribed on the bell resonated well with the cause of the movement.

In 1835, The Anti-Slavery Record, an abolitionist publication referred to it as the Liberty Bell.

4. The Liberty Bell was not that famous at the beginning

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

Before the 1830s when the Liberty Bell was renamed, it was just another bell in a bell tower.

It is alleged that the bell was rung for the first time in 1776 after the Continental Congress vote for independence.

In 1885, the city of Philadelphia, the rightful owner of the Bell, let the bell be taken for expositions and patriotic gatherings around the country.

It attracted mammoth crowds and, in the process, got more cracks. The chippings from the bell were collected by souvenir hunters.  

More damage would have permanently ruined the Bell, therefore, the city refused any more tours of the bell in 1915.

5. The Bell was used as a symbol of freedom

After World War II, the city of Philadelphia permitted the National Park Service to take custody of the bell, but they retained ownership.

It was used as a symbol of freedom during the Cold War and its bell tower became a popular site for protests in the 1960s.

The National Park Service moved it from the Independence Hall to a glass pavilion at Independence Mall in 1976. Later on, it was moved to the Liberty Bell Centre in 2003.

The bell has been featured on coins, stamps, and its image has been widely used by corporations.

6. The British wanted to melt the Bell

By Davis Gray – Wikimedia

In 1777, the Liberty Bell was under great threat by the British who wanted to melt it. They intended to recast it into ammunitions.

The Americans moved the Liberty Bell to Zion German Reformed Church under heavy guard. They returned it after the British soldiers left a year later.

7. There is a Bible verse on the Liberty Bell

By William Zhang – Wikimedia

The Bell is inscribed with a Bible verse from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land Unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

Those words were used by the anti-slavery movement for their cause as well as use the Bell as their symbol.

The words are part of instructions to the Israelites to return property and free slaves every 50 years.

8. Its initial use was to summon lawmakers

The original use of the Liberty Bell was to summon the lawmakers to their jurisdictive sessions. It was also used to alert people to public proclamations and meetings.

On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell rang to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

Other historical moments when the Bell was rung was when Benjamin Franklin was sent to England to address Colonial grievances, when King George III ascended to the throne in 1761, and to call the people of Philadelphia to discuss the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765.

9. No one really knows how the Bell sounds

By Jean Leon Gerome Ferris – Wikimedia

Believe it or not, not a single soul that heard the bell ring is still alive. Therefore no one can tell what the Bell sounds like.

Graduate students from Pennsylvania State University attempted to recreate the sound in 1999.

They created a digital model which calculated the specific vibrations of the Bell when struck.

Although it has not been rung since 1846, it has been lightly tapped several times. It was tapped to mark D-Day, V-E Day and V-J Day.

10. The bell can be found at Liberty Bell Centre

The Liberty Bell is at the Independence Mall in a light-filled centre. It stands out in its glass enclosure and can be seen from afar.

The Liberty Bell Centre is open all days a year, except on Christmas.

Admission to see the Liberty Bell is free. Millions of people visit the Liberty Centre to see Bell annually.