The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell has been marked as one of the key symbols of independence. In 1751, the Assembly of the Providence of Pennsylvania ordered a bell from Whitechapel Foundry in England, to weigh roughly 2000 pounds. Ironically, the inscription chosen for the bell a full quarter century before the revolution read: “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof…” (Leviticus 25:10)

Cast at London’s Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the bell arrived in Philadelphia in August 1752. Because the metal was too brittle, it cracked during a test strike and had to be recast twice. When it was first made, the Liberty Bell was used to make lawmakers come to legislative meetings. It was also used to call people to public meetings. Bells were rung when the Declaration of Independence was read on July 8, 1776. After the British invasion of Philadelphia, the bell was hidden in a church until it could be safely returned to the State House. The Liberty Bell cracked beyond repair on February 23, 1846 on Washington’s birthday. While the bell does not ring physically, its message of liberty still rings out to the hearts of Americans. The Liberty Bell’s clapper has been immobilized since 1915.