The Liberty Bell is an important part of American history and represents a lot more than a bell. It is a symbol of liberty and freedom for the nation. The bell’s symbolic connection to liberty, equality and freedom was forged through several historical moments. The bell was ordered in 1751 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges. This was Pennsylvania’s original constitution, which was known for supporting rights and freedom. The first time that the bell rang it was to tell the citizens of Philadelphia that Colonel John Nixon was reading the Declaration of Independence for the public for the first time. Later, the bell was used by abolitionists as a symbol to end slavery.
The bell first tolled on July 8, 1776.
• The Whitechapel Foundry in England made the bell.
• The bell arrived September 1, 1752.
• It weighs 2,080 pounds.
• It is made from a mixture of copper, tin and other metals.
• The bell is 3 feet tall.
• The crack is one-half inch wide and 24.5 inches long.
• The bell is officially owned by the city of Philadelphia.
• The note that the bell makes is an E flat.
• The yoke is original to the Liberty bell and is made of American Elm30.
The Liberty Bell is famous for its large crack. It first cracked the day it was hung on March 10, 1753, when the clapper hit the side of the bell. The bell was sent back to England for repairs. It made it back to Pennsylvania on March 29, 1753. This new bell didn’t crack, but when it rang to let the citizens of Philadelphia know about important events the people thought the sound was unpleasant. They sent the bell back to England. Eventually an entirely different bell was shipped to Pennsylvania. When British soldiers occupied the city in 1777, the bell was evacuated and hidden in a nearby church until it was brought back in 1787. The bell got the crack that it is famous for today when it tolled for George Washington’s birthday on February 22, 1846.
For more information visit the following sites:
http://www.softschools.com/facts/us_national_landmarks/liberty_bell_facts/493/
http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/libertybell.htm
