As we celebrate Independence Day, let’s dive into the backstory and symbolism of the Liberty Bell. Most folks don’t know the real story behind the Liberty Bell, which really was not famous at all until more than a half century after July 4, 1776.
The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia, Penn. Once placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now named Independence Hall), the bell today is located across the street in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park.
This famous bell was commissioned in 1751 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. It was cast with the lettering “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof”, a Biblical reference from the Book of Leviticus.
The Liberty Bell is the subject of this episode of American Countryside with Andrew McCrea:
No one recorded when or why the Liberty Bell first cracked, but the most likely explanation is that a narrow split developed in the early 1840’s, after nearly 90 years of hard use, according to the National Park Service.
“Among the stories is that it cracked the very first time it rang,” says Bob King of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. “Another story is it cracked while ringing on the Fourth of July. But as far as we know, it did not ring on the Fourth of July at all.”
There’s no evidence to support the stories, King says. In fact, the first reference to the crack in the Liberty Bell came in January 1846 — nearly 70 years after the nation’s independence.
In 1852, the bell was removed from the hall steeple. The city allowed the bell to go on tour beginning in 1885, and drew huge crowds in many cities, but the crack grew larger.
In 1915, in order to preserve the national treasure, it became part of a permanent display near Independence Hall, where it continues to draw thousands of visitors yet today.
The bell weighed 2,080 lbs. at order. It’s 70% copper, 25% tin and contains small amounts of lead, gold, arsenic, silver, and zinc. The bell’s wooden yoke is American elm, but there is no proof that it is the original yoke for this bell.
The bell has been featured on coins and stamps, and its name and image have been widely used by corporations.
