The Liberty Bell

It was on July 8^th in 1776 that the Liberty Bell rang to

summon everyone to hear the reading

of the Declaration of Independence. 

Do you remember learning about the Liberty Bell – maybe in 4^th or 5^th grade?  When we think back on those lessons, it’s usually the famous crack that we recall.  The original bell, destined for the Pennsylvania State House, was made by John Pass and John Stow in England and it cracked soon after it arrived in America in 1751.  A second bell was cast in 1753 using metal from the first and it rang many times for public pronouncements.  The last time it was rung was in 1846 for a celebration of George Washington’s birthday, but by that time another thin crack had appeared that was affecting its sound.

The bell weighs about 2000 pounds and is made primarily of copper and tin.  It now hangs from what is believed to be its original yoke of American Slippery Elm.

The inscription includes the names of the makers and a Bible verse:

“Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof”

 (Leviticus 25:10)

It was not actually referred to as the “Liberty Bell” until the 1830s when a group trying to outlaw slavery adopted it as a symbol for their cause.  In the late 1800s, the Liberty Bell traveled around the Nation to be exhibited and help heal the divisions of the War Between the States.  It now resides in Independence Hall (in the background of the above photo) in Philadelphia, PA where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed.

Today, let us remember and thank the personnel

of the Armed Forces that continue to fight

for our liberties and Let Freedom Ring!