The bell has been featured on coins and stamps, and its name and image have been widely used by corporations. The Liberty Bell is an important and famous symbol of American independence (freedom). The bell was ordered from the London firm of Lester and Pack (which is known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry today) in 1752. The Liberty Bell is an important symbol of American freedom. The Bell is suspended from what is believed to be its original yoke, made of American elm. While there is no contemporary account of the Liberty Bell ringing, most historians believe it was one of the bells rung. It used to be in the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall). In 1777, during the American Revolution, the Americans temporarily moved the bell to a church in Allentown, Pa., to hide it from British troops. Unfortunately, the bell was soon cracked by the clapper during testing. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence Hall), the bell today is located in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. The last such journey occurred in 1915, after which the city refused further requests. The bell was used as a symbol of freedom during the Cold War and was a popular site for protests in the 1960s. We’ve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma. Improved homework resources designed to support a variety of curriculum subjects and standards. In its early years, the bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens about public meetings and proclamations. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence Hall), the bell today is located in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Weighing about 2,080 pounds (943 kilograms), it measures 12 feet (3.7 meters) in circumference around the lip and 3 feet (1 meter) from lip to crown. The bell acquired its distinctive large crack sometime in the early 19th century—a widespread story claims it cracked while ringing after the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835. The Liberty Bell is a big, heavy, bronze bell with a crack in it. The Liberty Bell, one of America's most treasured artifacts, first tolled on July 8, 1776, announcing a new birth of freedom throughout the land. Kids Encyclopedia Facts. The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell was rung for the last time for George Washington’s birthday in 1846. It had the letters "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." Since then, it has endured as a symbol of the liberty that Americans enjoy under their representative form of government. The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the terms of our cookie policy, which can be found in our. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Virtual Tours of Museums, Art Galleries, National Parks and Historic Sites. After World War II, the city allowed the National Park Service to take custody of the bell while retaining ownership. Two local metalsmiths, John Pass and John Stow, recast it, using metal from the original bell. The Liberty Bell is composed of approximately 70 percent copper, 25 percent tin, and traces of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold, and silver. The Liberty Bell is made of about 70 percent copper and 25 percent tin, with trace amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold, and silver. The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London firm of Lester and Pack (known subsequently as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry), and was cast with the lettering “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof,” a Biblical reference from the Book of Leviticus (25:10). The Liberty Bell is one symbol, but the bell wasn't always thought of this way. The bell was not rung, as has often been said, on July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was adopted, though it may have tolled four days later. In 1976, the year of the United States bicentennial, the Liberty Bell was moved to a pavilion outside Independence Hall. It was moved from its longtime home in Independence Hall to a nearby glass pavilion on Independence Mall in 1976, and then to the larger Liberty Bell Center adjacent to the pavilion in 2003. The cost of the original Bell, including insurance and shipping was £150, 13 shillings, and eight pence ($225.50) in 1752. Now called the Liberty Bell, it has become a well-known symbol of the freedom of the United States. Despite the fact that the bell did not ring for independence on that July 4, the tale was widely accepted as fact, even by some historians. It was then hung in the State House steeple, where it was used for many years to call the legislators to meet. The bell was ordered from the London firm of Lester and Pack (which is known as the Whitechapel Bell … Beginning in 1885, the City of Philadelphia, which owns the bell, allowed it to go to various expositions and patriotic gatherings. The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, England, cast the bell, which arrived in Philadelphia in 1752. The Liberty Bell is an important and famous symbol of American independence (freedom). The composition of the Liberty Bell is 70% copper, 25% tin, and trace amounts of gold, silver, zinc, arsenic, and lead. The Liberty Bell weighs over 2,000 pounds. They believe that the steeple may have rotted too much by then to allow for bell ringing.) Liberty Bell facts for kids. (Wikipedia), Liberty Bell by Michael Walsh on Sketchfab, 3D Virtual Reality Powered by Matterport Service Partner Network - Distributed by HistoryView, LLC. It was first called the Liberty Bell in the 1800s, in an antislavery pamphlet. Inscribed on the bell are the words “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land and unto all the inhabitants thereof,” which comes from the Bible (Leviticus 25:10). It used to be in the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall). After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. Matterport, 3D Showcase, Mattertag are registered trademarks of Matterport, Inc. All Rights Reserved ©2017. HistoryView, LLC - IMAGE COPYRIGHTS RETAINED BY OWNER & IMAGES USED FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES. (Historians have questioned that story, too. At the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia, a large bell is said to have been rung. The bell became famous after an 1847 short story claimed that an aged bell-ringer rang it on July 4, 1776, upon hearing of the Second Continental Congress’s vote for independence. After American independence was secured, the bell fell into relative obscurity until, in the 1830s, the bell was adopted as a symbol by abolitionist societies, who dubbed it the “Liberty Bell.”. The Liberty Bell is made of about 70 percent copper and 25 percent tin, with trace amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold, and silver. According to tradition, the bell cracked again in 1835, while it was tolling for the death of John Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Court. The bell attracted huge crowds wherever it went, additional cracking occurred and pieces were chipped away by souvenir hunters. Weighing about 2,080 pounds (943 kilograms), it measures 12 feet (3.7 meters) in circumference around the lip and 3 feet (1 meter) from lip to crown. A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar. In 1751 the Pennsylvania legislature had the bell made to hang in their new meeting place, the State House, now known as Independence Hall. The bell first cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. Take a minute to check out all the enhancements! Since 2003 it has been displayed in the Liberty Bell Center near Independence Hall, both of which are part of Independence National Historic Park. Britannica does not review the converted text. Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops. When the bell was rung on George Washington’s birthday in 1846, it cracked beyond repair. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. It has not been rung since. The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from… Although no immediate announcement was made of the Second Continental Congress’s vote for independence, and so the bell could not have rung on July 4, 1776, related to that vote, bells were rung on July 8 to mark the reading of the Declaration of Independence.