The Liberty Bell is a symbol of American independence. The bell was made in London by the Lester and Pack firm in 1752, and was engraved with the lettering “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

It originally cracked when first rung after arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. In its early years, the Liberty Bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens to public meetings and proclamations.

The bell became famous after a story printed in 1847 claimed that an aged bell-ringer rang it on July 4, 1776, upon hearing the results of the of the Second Continental Congress’s vote for independence. Even though the bell probably did not ring for independence on that July 4, the tale was widely accepted as fact.

The bell was moved from the Independence Hall to Independence Mall in 1976, and then to the larger Liberty Bell Center adjacent to the pavilion in 2003.

Posted: July 27, 2017

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