Independence Hall, Philadelphia
The Liberty Bell has long stood as a symbol of freedom for many people around the United States. On July 8th, 1776, the bell rang out across Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the first time. The loud chiming announced the first ever public reading of the Declaration of Independence from Independence Hall. Through the years, the bell was adopted as a symbol for Native American Indians, suffragists and abolitionists across the United States.
The bell was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn's, 1701 Charter of Privileges. The bell was cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London England. On the first of September 1752 the bell arrived in Philadelphia. But, the bell was not actually hung until March 10, 1753 with the inscription "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants therefore,'' from Leviticus 25:10. Which is still relevant to what our country stands for to this day.
There has always been disagreements on how the Liberty Bell got its famous crack. Many believe the crack was caused by a flaw in the casting or the combination of metals used. The first time the bell was rang in July of 1776, caused its first series of cracks. The bell was then recast three times by John Stow and John Dock Pass of Philadelphia in the hope that adding more copper would help sturdy the bell and would improve the tone of the bell. The largest crack on the Liberty Bell that rendered the bell unusable was on the 100th anniversary of Washington's birthday in 1846.
After the Civil War many Americans were looking for a symbol of unity to help heal the nation. The Liberty Bell became one of those symbols to the American people. The bell was tolled upon the deaths of Presidents Hamilton, Adams and Jefferson. In 1852, the bell was removed from the rotting wooden steeple and put on display in Independence Hall. During 1885 through 1915, the Liberty Bell was put on a train and taken to various locations throughout the United States. On January 1, 1976 during the American bicentennial celebration, the bell was moved from Independence Hall and taken to a glass pavilion across the street, this location is now called the Liberty Bell Center.
As of 2006, the bell has remained in the Liberty Bell Center, where every year, thousands of tourists gather to ponder this great symbol of American heritage. Every year on July 4th, descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence gather to tap the bell, thirteen times in honor of the patriots, of the original thirteen states. Though there is no admission fee to view the bell, strict security measures are taken to protect the bell. The Liberty Bell is still a well known attraction that stands in testament of honor, liberty and freedom for all.
